


Before You Loved Me

by Hana (steppingstone)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Atonement - Freeform, Beauty Queen - Freeform, Bisexual Evil Queen | Regina Mills, F/F, Kissing, Nosebleeds, POV Regina, Regal Beauty, Regina/Belle - Freeform, Sex, Slow To Update, Storybrooke, Swanqueen friendship, That man who just mops in the basement under the hospital, The Enchanted Forest, Time Travel, Wedding!, a lot of time travel induced vomiting, drink throwing, love and fluff, magical pocket watch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2018-08-09 14:59:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7806361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steppingstone/pseuds/Hana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina gets sucked into Zelena's portal and is left unable to stop skipping through time. Can she save herself and keep events on track in order to live the glorious life she's caught sight of in the future?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blood & Breakfast

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to write a fic for every F/F OUAT ship. Regina/Belle caused a lot of headaches. Where should one one set the story? Too early in their timeline and you hit the Evil Queen and a lack of a consent. Too late and you miss all the key scenes from the show making it less enjoyable to read. Somewhere in between and one or both of them are in a relationship with a knobhead. Or Belle is Lacey...which brings us back to the issue of consent. 
> 
> So time travel seems to give you the best of everything. A chance for Regina to make up and atone for the past whilst...well I won't spoil what they get up to in the present and the future. :p
> 
> Robin exits in this world, but him and Regina were never together.
> 
> Updates to this will come every week or two but so please subscribe to this and bear with me. Life is busy and gets in the way sometimes but I will get there eventually. I've already written the end.
> 
> Songs for this fic:  
> *Tourist - Wait (The lyrics and ticking throughout the song set the tone of this fic perfectly.)  
>  
> 
> I hope you enjoy. Please leave your comments and feedback. They mean so much to me. Thank you.

Once Henry spotted the huge column of light though the window the naming ceremony was swiftly forgotten about as they all dashed over to the sheriff’s station from the diner. The revelation that Emma was planning to return to New York would have to wait for a while too. They needed to see what the hell the green witch had been up to. Regina had no idea how she’d managed to open the time portal from inside a jail cell. 

Although when they got there they discovered she wasn’t inside. 

Well that explained that then.

She looked across the room to her right. Gold. He had to be behind this somehow. There was no other way Zelena could have escaped. And everything could be chalked up to his interference in the end, especially in matters where his son was involved. 

Regina stared at the security footage barely blinking. Pain stung her chest and she gasped as she watched Zelena, or rather her...her sister disintegrate on the screen. She’d only just found out she existed and now she was gone. Could she really have taken her own life? 

"Well, it seems as if her escape was of a more permanent nature." Gold said, his normally light and playful voice sounding urgent. "I won't ask for an apology." he scoffed.

He wouldn't get it from her even if he did. God she could just blast him with her magic sometimes. She dreams of sending him flying into the nearest wall and pounding his face with her fist.

Her thoughts return to her sister. "She must have had just enough residual magic left to do herself in." Then she figures the rest out as she’s speaking. "And when she'd gone the magic in her pendant had nothing to tether to. It was set free. Her last wish fulfilled." 

A shame that it couldn’t have been something less dangerous. A plate of lasagne for everyone would have done. 

"So how do we unfulfill it?" Robin asked.

"An excellent question, but until we figure it out no one should go near it. A trip to the past could have catastrophic repercussions." Gold said. Regina's first thought was of Emma. She didn’t know where she had run off to so she ordered David to call and warn her.

"We'd better get over there and make some kind of barrier that no one can cross.” Regina said. “We don't want anyone getting sucked into it by accident. Come on,” she gestured to Gold. “Let's go."

He merely shrugged his shoulders in indifference so Regina transported herself there with an angry flourish of magic. They should have all come straight here. Someone might have been dragged in already without them knowing. But thankfully whilst some townsfolk had come to stare in awe there didn't seem to be anyone standing nearby so she started using her magic to create a line no one could pass. 

She was just closing up the last part of the barrier when the force of the wind caused by the column of magic bursting out of the ground grew stronger. It whipped at her hair and clothes making it increasingly harder to move and make magic. She struggled to carry on as she heard her name being called out. She looked over her shoulder and saw Belle running towards her. The younger women skidded to a halt in surprise and Regina swung her head back round to see what had caught her attention. There was someone inside the barn. 

"That's impossible.” Regina said. “I checked. I couldn't see anyone in there!" She rushed forwards toward the door.

"No. Regina, wait!" Belle cried, dashing towards her. But the younger woman was too late. And Regina couldn’t hear anything else she was saying anyway. She wondered whether the figure inside was her sister and whether she could save her.

Suddenly there was a surge of magic and the force unleashed from the portal knocked her over. Regina desperately tried to hold on to something on the ground to stop her being dragged backwards into the barn but there was nothing but grass to grab on to. It merely ripped off in her hands.

"Regina!" Belle shouted again.

She was sucked back towards the centre of the portal. The cacophony of the wind was so loud she couldn’t hear herself scream whilst being flung around violently like a rag doll. She yelled out in pain, unable to control any part of her body. Her stomach was lurching. She was falling and falling without a landing, soon knocked out cold.

She woke with a gasp and a huge intake of breath. There was absolute silence. Her chest was heaving as she tried to breathe. She coughed over and over again to try and get the dirt out of her lungs. The skin above her lip felt wet and when she wiped her hand under her nose her fingers were smeared in blood. Her ears had apparently been bleeding too. She suddenly became aware of how much everything hurt. Her limbs ached but thankfully nothing seemed broken. A small wave of the hand repaired her ear drums. She needed to clean herself up. She had no idea how long she'd been unconscious. 

Henry. She had to find her son.

Regina looked around and saw she was in a hall in between several rooms. It was painted in soft colours with a carpet that was fluffy to touch. She pulled herself into a sitting position and leaned her weight against the wall to help her stand. She had no idea where she was. It was definitely the inside of a house but one she had never seen before. Not wanting to pry into anyone's personal space she walked downstairs to see if she could spot anything that would identify her location. A large sitting room lay to her left, ahead a spacious kitchen with a counter and stools. Light was streaming in the windows. Half finished food had been left on the stove.

She heard a noise and saw the dark shape of a figure before a sharp, heavy blow knocked her down.

"Regina? Oh my god. I'm so sorry. Here, let me help you up." Belle put down the baseball bat and extended a hand.

"Is this your house?" Regina said, using Belle to help get herself upright again. Another coughing fit followed.

"Yeah, yeah it is." That would explain why Regina didn't recognise it, she'd been in the shop but never where Gold and Belle lived before. "I'm so sorry.” The younger woman continued. “I heard coughing upstairs and thought there was an intruder. I should have known it would be you."

"The portal...I got sucked into it. Did you take me back here after I blacked out?" Perhaps Belle had put her to bed in order to rest and she'd walked in her sleep or something. She shuddered at the thought being unconscious in Golds proximity and felt very relieved that Belle had the dagger. Apparently. 

Belle scrunched up her face. "Not exactly." she said. 

Regina raised an eyebrow to gesture for her to continue. 

"You fell into the portal." she explained. "This is just where you happened to pop out."

So she’d teleported. "In your house?" she said, sceptically.

Belle was smiling. "Yeah it's funny. I always wondered where you first came through. You'd never tell me. You always said if I found out what happened in my life before I'd lived it there'd be ‘catastrophic repercussions’." She mimicked Regina’s voice and made air quotations whilst saying the last two words. 

Regina felt extremely troubled by what the younger women had just told her. "Where I first came through? You mean I teleport again? Does this happen a lot?"

Belle's face fell as she realised what she'd just done. "Oh whoops." She sighed in frustration at her mistake. "Sorry. Every time I think I get a grasp of things I...Never mind. I'm sure vague details are fine!" she tried to reassure herself. "You'll find out soon enough anyway."

Regina felt anger and impatience flood through. “Find out what." She said, voice raised. 

"Ok, well let's get you cleaned up whilst I explain." Belle replied, leading her over to the counter and sitting her down. She ran a cloth under the faucet before walking back over. 

"You're in the past." Belle said, gently washing her face. 

"When am I?" Panic rose inside her. “Henry.” She breathed. She needed to get back to him and make sure he was alright. She’d always thought time travel was impossible. If Zelena was still alive, or Pan, or god forbid her mother the danger he could be in was unthinkable. 

"Henry's fine, you don't need to worry about him."

She batted Belle’s hands away. "Where is he?!" She demanded.

"You can't see him, he doesn't know about this."

"So why do you?"

Belle kept silent and started wiping the blood and dirt off her face again. 

“Fine.” Regina huffed. "Since when?"

"In your timeline or mine?" Belle laughed. She rinsed the cloth in the sink and handed it over. Regina began to slowly wipe her clothes down, fumbling. Not really paying attention to her actions as she tried to take it all in.

"Please tell me I can stop this and travel back to my own time." 

"Yes, of course!" 

Belle couldn't lie to save her life, and as someone who had repeatedly threatened to murder her Regina knew that better than anyone. She suddenly felt all the energy drain out of her. She ached to see her son. For someone to explain everything and reassure her that soon this would all be over.

Belle tried to soften the blow. "I just haven't figured out how that’s all, and I don't even know when my deadline is yet. We could have months. Years even. That's plenty of time."

"Why is down to you?" 

Belle merely shook her head and smiled sadly, unable to say. 

She thought of Emma and The Uncharmings. “The others are helping you though, aren’t they?”

"I know this is a huge shock to take in but try not to worry.” Belle gently teased the cloth from Regina’s fist and rinsed it again before leaving it to dry over the faucet. “And if it’s any consolation you told me you only bled the first time."

"I had no idea time travel was akin to losing my virginity." Regina said, dryly.

"Oh, very funny. Look, I've been working on a solution for a long time. I'm sure we'll figure it out soon." Belle went through to the sitting room and began moving a few things around, presumably preparing a space for her to rest in. Regina’s vision was blurring so didn’t see the details. Belle led her to the couch. "Here, sit down."

Regina felt too tired to not do as she was told. It felt strange to have someone she once kept prisoner care for her and tell her what to do. Anger at Gold for bringing magic into this world rose inside her. 

Belle brought her some food and drink which she accepted gratefully and she received some more information from her whilst she ate. "When you travel, you could stay anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. I don't know why it changes.” Belle explained. “I think you know a lot more than you let on but you've been very difficult to get answers from.” Regina couldn’t help but smile at Belle’s mild irritation about not having the knowledge she craved. It was kind of cute. 

“You don't just travel to the past,” the younger woman continued. “You've been to my future too. Or maybe that was also in my past, but it would have just been in my future past when you told me you've been to my future too?”

Regina shook her head, utterly confused. "Anything else?" she asked, barely able to keep her eyes open yet desperate for more details. Anything that could provide a clue.

Belle pulled an old fashioned pocket watch out which was a dark metallic colour. It was attached to a long chain that she placed over Regina's head and round her neck. "Keep this safe. It will help you work out how long you've got left when you travel. This stopwatch has magical properties. It's the only thing that will travel with you. You can't take anything else so don't even waste your time trying." 

Regina felt like she was being told off for something she hadn’t done…yet. Her head hurt. She began coughing again. She lay down and Belle wrapped a blanket round her and tucked it in.

"Try and get some rest." Belle whispered, stroking her hair in her favourite spot until she fell asleep. "You'll need it."


	2. Beauty and the Beasts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She let the pocket watch fall back to her chest on its chain and went over to the bed and sat down, stroking Henry’s hair for several minutes. 
> 
> The ticking grew louder.
> 
> “No. No.” She begged. “Please don’t take me away from him.”
> 
> But her mind grew foggy and her world jerked away from her and faded into black.

Regina woke with a lurch feeling like a hook had ripped through her then yanked her backwards, down through the ground. There were white, bright blurry lights slowly coming into focus. She blinked rapidly. 

Voices. 

"She's awake!"

Henry. 

Relief that she hadn't been permanently separated from him washed over her as she reached out to try and take his hand. 

People rushed over grinning and asking questions and in response she leant over to her left and vomited until her stomach had nothing left to expel. Everyone jumped back, shocked into silence and disgusted.

"Well I knew you disapproved of my love interest but that is taking it too far." Emma said.

Regina laughed and just about managed to shuffle herself upright. Hook was being surprisingly good natured about the whole thing. "I'll just go and clean up." he said walking out in search of a washroom.

Regina leant back against the pillows. "So I'm in hospital?"

Mary Margaret nodded and handed her some water. "We were worried about you. You've been out for hours."

"But I've stayed here the whole time?"

"Most unconscious people don't tend to wonder around." David quipped. "When Belle called we picked you up and took you straight here. That was about 3, 4 hours ago. The portal is closed now but we're not sure how. Did you do it?"

Regina shook her head and looked round the room. Belle wasn't with them. Henry looked very concerned. "You need to give us more warning if you're gonna spew Mom."

"I'm sorry Henry." She forced a smile. "I'm sure I'll be fine soon." Mary Margaret started to try and help her clean up but Regina snatched the tissues out her hand and insisted she'd do it herself. "Just don't let Whale anywhere near me." she muttered. 

Mary Margaret looked over at David. "That's fine by me!" he said.

"We were cursed!" she mouthed back at him.

Regina wiped her face and felt something catch against her side. The needle from a drip was poking out her arm. She eased it out, determined to leave as soon as possible. She wasn't suffering the indignity of wearing a hospital gown in front of everyone any longer. "Someone, please take me home." she mumbled.

It was such a relief to be back in the right time...place. Whatever. The events that had occurred must have been the result of being in such close proximity to the portal. A glimpse of an alternate world or something? A hallucination? A dream? It didn't really matter as long as her family was safe, she was with them and the portal was closed. She would figure out the rest later once her head had stopped spinning. 

Emma drove her home, handed her some food and drink and insisted on staying over to keep an eye on her. "We found this round your neck earlier." the blonde said as she helped Regina into bed. "Did you find it in the barn?" 

Regina shook her head as Emma handed her the gold pocket watch. She grimaced. Its existence meant her experience had been something real and there was sadly more to come. She wasn’t looking forward to it.

"What were you doing so close to the portal anyway? Emma asked. “You could have been sucked in."

Oh the irony.

The Mayor didn't have the energy to answer as her eyelids drooped and her consciousness slipped away into the night. 

 

The third time she woke up was mercifully a lot less bloody and violent. Just earache and a small trickle of red coming from her nose. She wiped the blood off and noticed that despite changing into her pyjamas at home she was back wearing the clothes she'd had on when she’d fallen into the portal. She sat up and sighed, consoling herself with the fact that if she was condemned to wear the same clothing over and over again at least she was having a good fashion day. 

It was dark. The moon was out and she rubbed her palms together to ward off the chill. It still felt and smelt like The Land Without Magic but she had no idea which part of the forest she was in. She could just about make out some voices coming from her right so she followed the source of the noise, fumbling her way through the trees using her hands to guide her. She hoped that what she found would give her some bearings. 

“I like the power. But there's nothing wrong with power.” A man’s voice said, sounding desperate. “Not when…” She missed bits of what he was saying as the sounds from walking through vegetation obscured the words. “…can have it all.” 

Regina stopped to listen when she reached the side of a road.

“I just wanted you.” A woman said. Regina started when she realised who it was. “I wanted to be chosen. I tried to be everything for you Rumple. But I wasn't. And I lost my way trying to help you find yourself. But not anymore.”

Regina caught sight of a red line across the road. They were at the town line. Belle was holding up his dagger to propel him backward towards it. This did not look good. Regina turned her palm to face upwards and created a fireball, ready to use in case needed. She was surprised yet somewhat delighted to see Gold was close to tears. His voice trembling as he spoke. 

“Please Belle I'll make it up to you. I've changed once before. I'll do it again.”

Clearly devastated Belle shook her head, crying. “You've never changed.” she said.

“Please!” He reached out to her but she raised the dagger higher and closer toward him to keep away. 

“No!” she said. “It's too late. Once I saw the man the behind the beast. Now there's only a beast." 

Regina looked on and slowly closed her fist to extinguish the flame. Her mouth agape in shock at the events unfolding in front of her. 

“Rumpelstiltskin, I command you to leave Storybrooke.”

"No. Belle. Please! I won't be able to come back." 

“I know.” She cried.

“I…I don't wanna lose you.”

She dealt the final blow. “You already have.”

“Belle please. I'm afraid." He was forced to put one foot over the line. “Belle.” he said.  
And he was gone, leaving Belle to stand crying alone in the middle of the road. Frozen to the spot in grief for some time before being able to walk away. 

Regina took a step back into the trees to remain hidden, unsure whether to go and comfort Belle or leave the area. In the end she decided to go to avoid changing anything in her timeline or Belle’s that she didn't understand. This was probably the future but who knew how far ahead. It could be weeks, months or even years. 

She transported herself to The Mayor's Office and tried to get some rest on the couch hoping this wasn’t a night where someone would walk in. Sleep caught up with her after a fair amount of time had been spent worrying about Belle. She'd loved and lived with him as a Dark One for so long, so what had happened that had been so bad she would end her relationship with him?

 

Regina turned to her side, fell off something onto a carpeted floor and vomited all over it. Tears welled in her eyes from feeling so unwell. After resting for a few minutes she managed to open her eyes and look around. No lights or voices this time but it felt and smelt like…

Home. 

She stumbled up to the bathroom to rinse her mouth and take something for the nausea. Her next stop was Henry’s room. Thankfully he was sleeping soundly. The display on his alarm clock read 3:45am. She returned to her room with some tissues to clean up the vomit the best she could then headed to the kitchen a glass of water and an ice pack to rest on her forehead. She found Emma sleeping on one of her armchairs by the fire, and flicked some sparks out of her fingers to keep it going.

She gulped down some water and began a thorough search of the house feeling sure there was nothing in here that would help her. If there was she would already know about it, right? But she looked all the same just in case. However whilst she had plenty of potions, ingredients, and magical artefacts there were none that could be of any use. The same went for her spell books. None mentioned time travel unless to say it couldn’t be done. 

Her search of her vault had ended the same way. 

How had Zelena done it? More importantly how had it been stopped? 

And if the portal had been closed why was she still skipping through time?

She transported herself back home in order to watch Henry sleeping for a while. Until she figured out a way to stop this she wasn't going to see him much from now on. It made her heart ache. Thank god she was always being returned to the present. For now. If she got stuck before Henry was born or way in the future after he'd died... 

No. She mustn’t let herself dwell on it. 

A ticking noise began. She looked down, alarmed to find a glowing, purple light coming from her chest. The pocket watch. She’d forgotten all about it. She squinted at its face in the dark. It looked like she had about five minutes left before the hand hit zero. She’d never seen what it did when time ran out before as she’d always been asleep or unconscious. She’d have to ask Belle or the others if they’d seen it do anything. 

She let the pocket watch fall back to her chest on its chain and went over to the bed and sat down, stroking Henry’s hair for several minutes. 

The ticking grew louder.

“No. No.” She begged. “Please don’t take me away from him.”

But her mind grew foggy and her world jerked away from her and faded into black.

 

The next time she opened her eyes it was daylight. 

And something sharp was digging into her back; a stone. She sniffed and wiped the blood from her nose.

She was on the forest floor again surrounded by dirt and trees. Immediately she noticed her magic felt different here. Like where she grew up. She must be back in The Enchanted Forest. As much as she loved her power suits a wave of the hand helped her slip into some more appropriate attire. 

She thought about going back to her castle but even if another past version of herself wasn't currently in residence her staff and guards would be. If her castle even existed. There was, unfortunately, nothing to look at here to tell her the year or the time except the sun was still quite high in the sky. 

So far she had always arrived in a safe place so it made sense to stay put for now. She realised the pocket watch was still in her possession so she held it close to examine it. There were ornate lines carved into the metal surrounding the face on the front but no distinct pattern. Just small loops and spirals. There weren’t any buttons or knobs to alter the time piece in any way and glass covered the centre of the front so you couldn't touch inside. 

She was struck by how abnormal the face was; the numbers only went up to five. The time left read about 4 ½ hours and the two hands seemed to be counting down to zero at a normal rate. What a shame Netflix didn't exist here. 

She turned it over to look at the back. The carved loops and spirals continued but there were nothing to indicate who made it or where it had come from. 

A twig snapped and she jumped up, ready to face any danger. A young teenager came through some trees nearby sketching and marking things on a piece of paper as she walked and hummed to herself. 

The girl jumped but then quickly relaxed as she recognised who it was. 

"Anastasia!" she called as she ran over. "You've come back." 

Regina was shocked to find a younger version of Belle in front of her. She was going to have to do a lot of guessing and vague answering to get through this one. She sighed.

"I take it we've met before?"

"Of course! You came to play with me in my garden when I little. Don't you remember?" She looked crestfallen. 

"Oh I'm sorry dear, my memory is so poor these days." Regina lied. 

"Well it was a long time ago." Belle smiled. "I was only 7. One can hardly expect everyone to remember every event in the past 8 years can they?"

Regina nodded and smiled at Belle’s kindness. She must have travelled to Belle's more distant past in her future. She rubbed her temples. She was going to have to start writing this all down if she was going to make any sense of it. Plus she might need to remember what Belle was telling her for future jumps. 

“So you’re a friend of my mother’s?” Belle asked.

Regina decided not to even try and answer. "May I have some of your paper dear? I have some thoughts I need to record."

"Sure." Belle handed her a sheet along with her pencil. 

Regina sat on a fallen tree trunk and began jotting down everything she knew, stopping to think to herself for a moment in between writing each bullet point.

 

‘1, time portal, figure in barn, Belle running towards me’

Was that why she was seeing Belle's past and future? Had she been caught up in the portal too? But if that were true, wouldn’t she have memories of Belle visiting her? Unless their original timeline remained intact and this was a parallel one. She had no idea, with only sci-fi movies to go on. No one had made time travel an actual reality before had they? As all the books kept saying, that was impossible.

‘2, Belle's house, past, gave me the pocket watch, slept’

Where had Belle got the time piece from? How did it know how long she had in each pocket of time? 

A face popped up over her shoulder. Regina shooed Belle away and told her not to look so she joined her on the tree trunk sitting half a meter away instead. 

3, present day - hospital - threw up on Hook. : D !

She laughed out loud to herself at the thought.

4, Past, Belle, Enchanted Forest

She paused. “So you’re 15?” she asked Belle.

“That’s right. Father says I am to be married in a few years.”

Regina gave a slight nod, thinking back to the creepy man in the flower shop. She also remembered Belle had been engaged to Gaston before Rumpelstiltskin had taken her away. Poor child. "And is that something you're looking forward to?" Despite knowing her for so long Regina realised she still knew so little about her. 

"I'd rather read a book."

Regina laughed.

"Is that bad?" Belle asked.

"No dear, it's who you are.” Regina smiled at the young adult at her side. “And don't ever let anyone change that about you."

"Thank you, but I wasn't planning to." 

Belle’s strength of mind made her smile again. “Good.” Regina carried on writing, this time starting a new column of experiences she apparently had left to come.

*visit to EF when Belle was 7, played in garden

7? So young. She wondered if she went back in time any further than that. 

"What are you doing here all alone dear, shouldn't you be closer to home?"

Belle pointedly ignored the last part of the question. "I'm exploring. Making my own map of the area surrounding the castle. None of the ones in our library include any of the plants or wildlife. Can you believe it?" 

"You'll make a great explorer one day." Regina complimented.

"Tell me more about yourself.” Belle said. “I didn't think to ask when I was little."

Regina shook her head. "I'm sorry, the less you know the better, for now at least."

"Why?"

"All will be become clear in time."

"Last time I saw you, you just disappeared into thin air. You must have magic."

"Yes, that's right I do."

"You were wearing that the last time I saw you too." Belle said, reaching towards the pocket watch. "Where is it from?" 

"I don't know." Regina said, not sure whether to feel frustrated or endeared by Belle's insatiable thirst for knowledge. "You tell me."

Belle handled the object carefully and examined every inch of it. "I've never seen anything like it. I’ll look in the library." 

Regina laughed at her enthusiasm. "Please dear, don't worry about it. I'm sure I will find the answers in time."

"Don't you have anywhere to be?” Belle asked. “Or do you just like sitting out in the forest craving pen and paper alone?” 

"As it happens I'm off right now.” Regina lied. “And you should go back home too. I'm sure your mother will be worried about you." She stood and took her by the arm, turning her in the direction she'd come from. Regina gave her a little push. "Off you go!"

"When will I see you again?" Belle called.

"When I feel like it!" Regina lied a second time, not wanting to derail Belle's teenage years by telling her she was being visited by an out of control time traveling recovering Evil Queen.

Everything was getting ridiculously complicated. 

She winced at the thought of all the horrific things her past self would go on to do to her.

Once Belle was out of sight she sat down to write again, this time adding in the hours she’d spent in each ‘moment’. At her best guess it totalled up to about 25 hours. No wonder she was exhausted. Whilst she'd managed to snatch a bit of sleep in some of the 'time pockets' 4-5 hours would never be enough. Her body and mind kept going through an immense magical trauma and every time she woke up recovery was hampered further still by having a different time period and location to try and navigate and understand. 

Feeling concerned about her potential to affect and disturb time she decided to wait out her remaining hours in the forest where no one else would find her and ask everyone about what was happening back in the present. 

To pass the time she wrote some future lines of enquiry on the other side of the paper. 

1, belle  
2, blue fairy  
3, gold  
4, Henry

He was so smart. He might know something or have an idea.

5, Emma

Well, she was the saviour after all. Even if she had been thinking about stealing her son back to New York.

 

It was a long and boring wait watching the hands circle round as the sun sank lower in the sky. Eventually the time piece began glowing and ticking once more. Her anxiety grew. If the time travel was sticking to the same formula she should be going back into the present day again - but who knew? The only thing she was sure of was that it would hurt. She willed herself back to her son as she moved from a sitting position onto her hands and knees in order to brace herself for the next violent ‘ride’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random: Another inspiration for Regina's condition in this fic came from when I suffered from a nasty virus a few years ago which left me with severe post viral fatigue. 
> 
> At its worst I was left with so little energy that on the rare occasions I was actually conscious I could either get out of bed, get some food, then pass out at the table or go to the toilet and pass out on the floor. I had to wait until the next period of consciousness for the energy to make it back to bed. It took months to recover from. Such a weird and surreal time!
> 
> Anyway, if people are starting to get confused with the time travel let me know and I will post my accompanying notes and diagrams. : )


	3. Commiserations & Celebrations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She saw marquees and tables and chairs on the other side of the lake in the park. White streamers and bunting had been hung around them..."

Regina woke in her own bed again, sitting up then trying to catch the vomit in her hands as the nausea came on too quickly to deal with. This was getting very old. She heard footsteps in the hall and Henry skidded into the room. He yelled for Emma, dashed off and came running in again with a bowl and a facecloth. This was awful. Her son should not have to be taking care of her.

"Regina, what's going on?” Emma asked when she walked in. “I thought the nausea stopped once we left the hospital."

"Gimme five." Regina said, cleaning herself up and waiting for her head to stop spinning. "Then we can all go downstairs and I'll explain." Emma nodded and went to stand next to Henry, squeezing his shoulder in reassurance once she'd put her arm round him. The Mayor checked her clothing, which was still the same pyjamas Emma had helped her into earlier in the present. She ran her hands down the length of her body and looked under the covers but there was no paper to be seen, just the time piece around her neck with the hands now back between 4 and 4 1/2 hours. The clock on her wall indicated it was lunchtime. 

In the kitchen Emma fetched her some coffee and then some toast for her to nibble on. Regina started from the beginning. "Promise not to laugh or think I'm crazy." she said, aware of how people were going to start perceiving her. This whole thing was utterly ridiculous and embarrassing. Remaining in one time period was a skill she’d had her whole life and it was now beyond her control. And Emma's eyebrow was going to reach her hairline if she didn't start believing what she was saying. 

"But you can't be time traveling.” the blonde said with her arms folded. “You've physically been here the whole time."

"Well mentally I must be going somewhere else, where I have a physical presence. Or maybe I'm in two places at once. I don't know. But people can see me."

"Who?" Emma demanded.

"Belle. Perhaps others too if I run into them."

"Well, have you tried finding her here? Ask her if she remembers your visits in the past?" Emma asked. 

And with that Regina smiled sarcastically at them and transported herself to the other side of town with an exaggerated flourish of the arms, changing pyjamas into normal clothes as she left. It was easy for Emma to suggest it like Regina hadn’t thought of the idea herself but this was the first chance she’d had to find Belle when it was daytime AND she was able to stand unaided.

Banging loudly on the door of Gold’s pawn shop was proving to be a good way of releasing tension but it was still strange that the closed sign was on display and no one was answering. She went to see if they were at home too but still nothing.

"Huh that's weird." Emma said upon Regina’s return. She placed her hands over Henry's ears. "Maybe they were making tacos." She wiggled her eyebrows. 

"Oh god, don't!” Regina replied. “Imagining Gold in bed is the last image I need in my mind right now." Imagining Belle in that situation was however much more pleasant. She’d stick with that instead. But she was still restless and needed to keep doing something so she ordered Emma and Henry to go the library. If Belle was there they’d call but if not they’d search the stacks for any useful information. 

Regina transported herself to the nunnery (wondering why they were still living as nuns when they had their memories back) and banged on the front door. The blue fairy answered. Her clothing immaculate. 

"I'm so sorry to trouble you Blue but I need your help." The fairy didn't invite her in. Regina tried to swallow her impatience. 

"Well this is going to sound completely ridiculous, but yesterday I got too close to the time portal my sister created and I was sucked in. Now I keep time traveling. Like a broken record skipping through random points in the past, present and future. I don’t know how to stop it."

"Ah, I'd heard you’d hit your head but I’m not sure what it is you think I can do. Time travel simply isn’t possible. Surely you of all people know this, otherwise you’d have used it to save Daniel.”

Of course she had. But that was then and this was now. And fear began creeping in. If people weren’t going to believe her then she might not get the help she needed to fix this. Regina still had no idea if it would stop on its own or need intervention. Things were somewhat stable for the time being but what if they started getting worse?

"Blue, please. Humor me. Can you look into it. I need to know how to stop this. I'm being dragged to a different time period every four hours or so and I'm exhausted." She had no clue what the toll of time travel on her body would be. 

She showed the fairy the timepiece. "Have you seen this before?" 

Blue shook her head. "No, sorry. But I'll do as you ask. I'll look into it for you."

"Thank you. I'll be back...” Regina quickly worked out the timings. “...this evening I suppose." 

 

There was nothing left to do except join Henry and Emma in the library but she stopped at the general store for some supplies first, grabbing a handful of energy gels and practically throwing them at Sneezy when he commented on how pale she looked. “Any luck?” she asked, but Emma and Henry merely shook their heads as joined them.

After another hour of searching they reached the last shelf and finished up. They got take out from Granny’s and ate it back at home. Soon there was only 5 minutes left to go. The timepiece started ticking and glowing again. They all walked through to the sitting room. Regina sat on the couch with a plastic bowl next to her. She was not under any circumstances going to repeat what had happened this time. It was so undignified.

"See you in 4 or 5 hours." she muttered. “And don’t sit around doing nothing whilst I’m gone. I want ideas on how to fix this when I get back.”

"But you're not going anywhere!" Emma said, as the timepiece continued ticking down.

Thirty seconds to go. Regina lay back in preparation. "You'd better not draw on my face whilst I'm out."

"Don't give me ideas." Emma joked.

And Regina was gone.

 

She woke on grass. The air felt warm. So did the skin above her lip. She licked her fingers and wiped off the blood as best she could. This time the portal had dumped her in the middle of some bushes. Charming. Hopefully next time it would drop her off in a king sized bed instead. She stood up, extracted herself awkwardly and began brushing herself down. Several twigs needed pulling from her hair.

This was Storybrooke and by the sounds of things the residents were celebrating. Music was playing in the distance and the smell of food was wafting over on the breeze making her mouth water. She saw marquees and tables and chairs on the other side of the lake in the park. White streamers and bunting had been hung around them and people were eating, laughing, and dancing. A pang of loneliness ran through her. How she envied them.

She used magic to change her suit into a smart summer dress to fit in with what the crowd were wearing and walked over cautiously to investigate. As she drew closer she made out a dance floor in the middle of the marquees. She kept her distance, still weary of causing "catastrophic ramifications". Though she was starting to feel that if anything could happen that would allow her to remain in the present with Henry then the consequences could, quite frankly, go and fuck themselves.

She leant against a leg of the marquee furthest away from the dance floor and began picking out faces in the crowd. Most of the people she knew from Storybrooke were there, including the dwarves, Kathryn, Granny, Red, Geppetto, and Snow. She followed Snow’s line of sight to see what was making her smile so much and found her husband, throwing and catching a ball with a child of about 4 or 5. 

“Neal.” she whispered to herself in surprise. 

She caught sight of Belle, and hissed her name to try and discreetly catch her attention. Belle looked confused at first, then had a moment of realisation and looked around her to see if anyone else had noticed Regina’s presence before hurrying over. 

“This is the time traveling you.” she said.

Regina nodded. “Please, I need your help.”

Belle’s eyes widened in apology, “Oh, erm, normally I would.” She looked round behind her again. “But now is really not a good time.”

“But-“

“I’m so sorry but you need to go.” Belle was pushing her backwards. “I’m sure I can help you another time.” she said, laughing at her own feeble play on words. “But you need to get away from here. Don’t go back to your house or mine either.”

“Why n-“

“Because catastrophic repercussions that’s why, now go!”

“Fine.” Regina humpfed, transporting herself to a restaurant she’d never been to before. La Tandor. She ate what they passed off as food and stepped back outside, suddenly at a loss of what to do. The rest of the fake money she’d just conjured out of thin air to pay for the meal was thrown in a nearby trash can. 

She didn’t feel like hiding, so she wondered back to the far side of the lake from the celebrations and sat down on a park bench, using magic to disguise herself in case anyone walked past. She wished she knew what was going on and that she could be a part of it. All the townsfolk had looked so happy. Hopefully her future self were there, perhaps with Henry and Emma and she just hadn’t spotted them before Belle had come over.

Her name had suited her well today; she looked simply radiant. Her smile went right to her eyes. Regina had been happy not to see Gold in the crowd and wondered if he was still banished, unable to find a way back home. She damn well hoped so. Maybe that was why Belle was looking so carefree.

The celebrations carried on as the sun sank lower in the sky. Lanterns surrounding the marquees sprang into life emitting a warm, soft glow to ward off the night. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a ticking noise coming from the time piece and she took it in her hand to look at it. 5 minutes. She hadn't realised she’d been sitting here long enough for the hands to have run down already. Time to get on her hands and knees again. She whispered Henry’s name over and over; a desperate plea to what had caused this. 

“Take me back to him.”

The time piece ticked on.

“Please take me back to my son.”

As the second hand reached zero she felt the sadly now familiar lurch before, smack. Blackness hit her and she was gone.

 

She jerked back onto the sofa she’d been lying on since she ‘left’. Blinking to clear her vision. 

“Annnnd she’s back.” someone said. “Watch out for all the vom-” 

“Henry!” Emma chastised. 

“Bowl’s on your right mom.” 

And she used it. They’d put some water and tissues within reach for her too and she said thank you. “Well?” she asked, hoping for some kind of answer that indicated they’d seen her time travel. Emma shook her head.

“You stayed right here.” Emma replied. “It was pretty freaky though. There was nothing but white when I looked under your lids and nothing would wake you.” 

“How long was I out?” Regina rubbed her temples.

“About 3 hours and 45 minutes.”

That was not the answer she was expecting. Belle had said the length of her ‘jumps’ varied but until now they’d always been over 4 hours before. She had no idea whether it would go back up at a later point or keep running down. She checked the time piece again. Three hours and twenty five minutes left. 

What would happen if there was no time left in each 'jump'? Would she cycle through time and never stop? 

No. They were going to fix this before that could even have a chance to happen. And she was going to find Belle.


	4. Dark & Damp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Belle was naked, straddling the lap of a woman with long dark hair sitting on the bed. Their clothes puddled round them on the floor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has been following this (and a huge thank you to those 3 people!) I do apologise for the long delay. A lot has been going on lately. Should be back to an update every 1-2 weeks from now on. Thanks for subscribing and sticking with me. Your support is greatly appreciated. x

Emma had managed to track down Belle at her father’s whilst Regina was time travelling. So as soon as she’d freshened up and had something to eat The Mayor went straight over. Mo opened the door slightly and peered into the night before recognising Regina. He reluctantly called for his daughter. Belle came through and asked him to give them some privacy. She stepped out and pulled the door to behind her.

“Thank goodness you’re here.” Regina said. “I need answers about what is happening to me.”

Belle apologised. “I’m so sorry. You did tell me you’d fallen into a time portal in the past but I didn’t realise that event was going to take place yesterday until after you’d magicked yourself out of the Sheriff's Station.” She looked incredibly sheepish. “You weren’t picking up your phone…and I tried but I couldn’t get to the portal in time to stop you.”

It was hard to stay calm. “You idiot, you could have prevented this from happening!"

“Hey! Coming here and getting angry at me isn’t going to help anything. I’ve said I’m sorry.” Belle folded her arms and glared at her. “I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. And you have no idea how much time I’ve already spent trying to help you throughout my whole life. Even when I was imprisoned you wouldn’t leave me alone!”

“You think I want this?" Regina replied. "None of this is my fault. I don’t have any control over where I end up. If you would just tell me how to stop this it will all be over.”

Belle looked at her like she was stupid. “Yeah, maybe for you. But I’m not living your life in order.” There was a pause, and her tone softened as she broke the bad news. “I’m sorry but I don’t know. It shouldn’t have even worked in first place. This kind of magic has never been done before and, well it makes Zelena one of the most powerful witches that have ever lived.” 

Regina felt pang of jealousy. “I was looking for you this morning. I needed you. Where were you?”

“I’ve been busy! And I don’t exist to serve you. My life doesn’t stop when you leave the room.”

Mo walked to the front door again after hearing their raised voices and peered round. Regina shot him a look of disgust. She lowered her voice; “Can we speak somewhere private, perhaps your place?”

Belle shook her head. “No, it’s late. And Rumple is there. We’ve had a…disagreement. And no, I don’t want to talk about it. Not that you were offering. You know, you’re a lot kinder in the future.”

Regina really didn’t have time for Belle’s complaints. She had to stop the time travelling before it was too late. She whisked them both back to her vault.

“Hey, not cool.” Belle said, angrily. 

“I'm sorry but I need this. And it won’t take long.” She said, filling her in on what she’d already been through. There were so many questions. She started with trying to get a grasp of how long this might continue. “How many times have I already visited you?”

Belle shrugged and kept tight lipped. 

“Oh come on!” Regina said. She could at least give her a clue. Knowing whether it was 5, 20 or 50 would be extremely useful.

“Telling you could cause 'catastrophic repercussions', remember?”

Regina threw her hands up. If only she could have a full night’s sleep for every time she heard those words. “Fine. Then what do you know that you can tell me?”

Belle thought to herself for a moment then noticed the time piece hanging around Regina’s neck. She gestured towards it. “I started researching about it after meeting you when I was a teenager. No one had ever seen or heard of it but I never stopped looking. One day when I was older I found it in Rumple’s castle whilst cleaning. He said he took it from a powerful witch in exchange for gold. It tells the wearer whatever kind of time they need to know. He wanted to use it to see how long it would be until he saw his son again but it wouldn’t work for him.”

“It must have come through to this realm with the curse.” Regina thought out loud. “And you knew to give it to me when I first turned up in your house.” She wobbled on her feet feeling very lightheaded. “When was that, for you?”

“When you were in Neverland rescuing Henry.”

Regina put a hand against the wall to steady herself. “And have I ever told you anything? About my future?” 

Belle shook her head again. 

“Nothing? Not even a clue on how to stop this?”

“I’ve already said no.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me about your life too?” If someone from the future visited Regina she’d be dying to know what happens and whether she would ever truly be happy. 

The younger women answered bitterly; “When I have it’s never been good news.” She spun round and headed up the steps to the surface. 

Regina sat down on a nearby trunk, realising too late she could have told Belle about how happy she’d seen her at the party in the future. Then she felt ashamed that she’d never thought much about the impact this was having on Belle before. But she was desperate for information and when you were being dragged through time every few hours, she consoled herself, when were you supposed to get chance?

As much as she wanted to curl up and sleep she had to squeeze in another trip to the nunnery. Sadly Blue didn’t have any news so another wave of the hand took her home and she napped on the couch until Charming woke her with 10 minutes to go. He’d come round to take over from Emma so she could rest and go to work the following day. Henry was now asleep. It was her wish that he wouldn't stay up past his bedtime despite what was happening. 

“Henry, Emma and I have been talking,” Charming said as he folded up the blanket he’d draped over her whilst she was sleeping. “If there are no answers in the present then you need to be more proactive in the past and in the future. Don’t grow disheartened. Keep looking. Somewhere there must be someone or something that can help you. Perhaps you could get hold of some of Zelena's magic.”

She thanked him and retreated to her bedroom to check a bucket, water, and wipes were still on hand. The timepiece started ticking and glowing again. Five minutes to go. She quickly peeked into Henry’s room to get another look at him. 

Thirty seconds.

Back to her bed where she got on her hands and knees again to brace herself for the long haul.

Zero.

 

Regina woke on a stinking, padded floor that was wet to the touch. There was nothing to aid her sight except for a faint trace of moonlight coming in through the bars in a window on the far side of the room. She waited for her eyes to adjust as much as they could then got up, wiping the blood from her nose as she stood. She took tiny, tentative steps with her hands outstretched and moved forward until she felt something. More padding on the walls. She traced it round until she reached a cold, metal door. Her hands made out two closed flaps; one in the middle and a larger one next to the floor. She only realised that was where the food came in when she stepped in a tray of something squishy. She came to the conclusion that the best thing to do would be to wipe her shoe on the floor and NOT think about it.

She heard a quiet snore and froze as she hadn't thought she'd have company. Panic rose inside her when she tried to use magic to open the door but felt nothing. She’d have to get through this the old fashioned way then which according to the timepiece would be about 3 hours and 15 minutes. This was not going to be fun. She made herself count and breathe as she tried to think things through. This must be Storybrooke. Otherwise she would be able to use magic. And it must be before the fall of 2012 when Gold brought it into this world. She placed an ear against the door and heard water dripping followed by a mop being slopped against the floor. Then the middle flap creaked slowly open so she took a step back. The light in the corridor illuminated dank, greasy hair and large hallow eyes staring at her. The man put a hand through and tried to grab her clothes but he was too slow. He stared at her for a while longer until he grew bored, closed the flap and walked away. The sound of mopping resumed.

She was in the basement of the hospital.

Regina leaned back against the wall and slid down to the floor. She tried to keep her mind alert so wouldn’t fall asleep but was too exhausted. The next thing she knew she was being shaken awake violently.

“What is that?” the man in the room with her shouted. Her time piece was glowing. The light and noise it emitted must have woken him up. “What have you come to torture me with this time?”

"Get off me!” she tried to wrestle her wrists free but his grip was too strong. He tried to tug the time piece from her neck. 

“No. No, you can’t take it. I need it.” she shouted. “Help. Help!” 

His hands closed round her throat and squeezed. Just as she was blacking out she felt a lurch and was gone. 

Upon waking she immediately vomited. Then she ran into Henry’s room, grabbed him and held him, unable to stop trembling. Could she get killed in the past? Or the future? Henry would be left without one of his mothers.

“Mom what are you doing? You’re scaring me,” he said.

Tears were pouring down her cheeks. “I know," she whispered. "I’m sorry.” 

David dashed in. “It’s alright Henry, I’ve got this. Try and go back to sleep.” He gently took Regina’s arm and encouraged to her to go with him. “Come on let’s go and talk downstairs. I’ll get you some cocoa.” 

“I don’t want cinnamon.”

“Then I will get you some cocoa without cinnamon.”

He put a hand on her back as she told him what had just happened. As they couldn’t think of anything they could do in the middle of the night rest and sleep were the best option. She couldn’t guarantee her safety anywhere else and she’d need strength and energy in other time periods to try and fix this. But instead of going to straight to bed Regina locked herself in her ensuite and sat on the floor and cried, still shaking. Partly in response to the hell she’d just been trapped in. Partly out of dread of what was to come. 

She had, not too long ago, offered an extremely feeble apology to Belle. The younger woman had stood up to her and demanded it the day Regina walked into the pawn shop looking for the double ended candle. It was time to admit that it was only because she'd needed Belle's help that she had mumbled the word sorry. Now the harsh realities of what she had done to her were beginning to sink in. She could no longer deny or refuse to think about it. It dawned on her that she could have never offered Belle a honest and sincere apology before without a experiencing a taste of her own cruelty. And as she counted up the number of times she had hurt or imprisoned Belle she knew she must have a lot more to come. 

Regina's thoughts drifted back to the man she had just been trapped in a cell with. She realised with horror that he would be down there, still. Along with anyone else she had imprisoned. She couldn’t even remember their names.

 

Sharp sunlight pierced her eyes. She sat up and leaned back against a bathtub whilst she tried to make sense of her surroundings. It looked like she was in someone else’s bathroom. Sleep must have taken over and she’d time travelled again. She pulled herself up and took a tissue from a box on the side to clean up the nosebleed. 

Gasps and moans of pleasure from the other room interrupted her whilst she was fixing her hair. There was no chance to escape without seeing anything as she caught sight of them through the doorway when she turned round in search of an exit. Belle was naked, straddling the lap of a woman with long dark hair sitting on the bed. Their clothes were puddled round them on the floor. The second woman was facing away from her so Regina couldn’t tell whether she knew her. Her mouth was on Belle’s breast and she had a hand between her legs. 

As soon as Regina was about to use magic to disappear without being seen she was caught watching. 

“Regina!” Belle gasped as she opened her eyes and pushed the other woman off her by the shoulders. “You’re here.” Belle was still panting, trying to get both her senses and her breath back. 

Regina raised her hands to cover her eyes. “I’m so sorry! I just regained consciousness in your bathroom.” This was utterly ridiculous. She heard the sounds of two women scrambling to cover themselves and the other woman she didn't recognise started laughing. 

“Shut up, it’s not funny.” Belle said, exasperated. “Why do you only ever interrupt when it's my turn?”

Regina felt someone take her arm and walk her forwards into another room. The door was closed behind them. 

“It’s alright you can open your eyes.” Belle was stood with a sheet wrapped around her. “Honestly you pick the worst moments. That’s the second time this week!” 

“I’m so sorry”, Regina said again. “I can’t control it.”

Belle placed a hand on her arm, “It’s ok. I know.” The younger woman was clearly a lot fonder of her in the future. Regina hoped this was a sign that they’d made amends. She started to apologise for everything but Belle interrupted her. 

“It’s ok Regina, we’ve already had this conversation.” 

Regina blinked back her tears and nodded. “Thank you.” 

“How long have you got left?” Belle asked. 

Regina checked her timepiece. “A little over an hour.” She must have been really tired to miss a jump and then sleep for so long. How had they not noticed her in their bathroom?

“Come downstairs with me." Belle said. "Let’s get you some food.” 

Regina polished off a whole plateful. “So who was that?”

Belle’s face broke into a grin. “You’ll see.”

“But let me guess, you can’t tell me.” Regina rolled her eyes and tried to break the tension. “Well whoever it was seemed to be erm...doing a good job.” They both laughed awkwardly. There was a long pause.

“You’ve been crying.” Belle pointed out softly. “What's going on?” 

“I was in the basement of the hospital.” Regina answered. 

“Oh yeah, the time when the mopping guy poured the bucket of dirty water all over your head sounded horrible. I’m so glad we were able to find a bed for him in proper psychiatric hospital.” She saw the look of horror grow on Regina’s face. “Oh damn, sorry. Every time I think I get a grasp of things I…well...never mind.” 

Belle moved forward to comfort her but Regina pushed her away. “Thank you, but no. This isn’t fair. You shouldn’t be the one comforting me after what I did to you.” Regina always landed near Belle when she arrived in a new time period. She must have been in one of the adjoining cells in the hospital.

“It was a long time ago.” Belle said.

But when time wasn’t linear it was all happening right now. Regina lay down her knife and fork carefully on her empty plate. “Thank you so much for the food but I’ve got to go.” She walked over to the door. “Please, go back upstairs and enjoy your time with…” Regina took a second to examine Belle. How happy she looked and much more mature she seemed. Regina saw a wedding ring on her finger and hazarded a guess. “…your wife?” She closed the door behind her, not even realising the important questions she'd forgotten to ask.


	5. Families & Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She transported herself into a store room she knew was quiet, pressed an ear to the door, and waited. Her heart was pounding and she was tired and dizzy but it felt good to have a solid goal to work towards."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback always welcome. :)

It felt like summer. The sun warmed her face as soon as she stepped outside the door. Regina took a deep breath and began walking down the road. It was calm and pleasant in this moment in future Storybrooke and there was about 20 minutes left until the next jump. About 15 had passed before she stopped and realised that she’d forgotten to ask Belle any questions. She swore and rubbed her eyes. The time piece started ticking. The topiary in the garden next to her looked like it could offer a hiding place so she walked through the gate and ducked behind it, ready for the ride.

2 minutes to go.

Hopefully her carelessness wouldn’t cost her much.

1 minute.

Surprises. Shocks. Exhaustion. No matter how hard this got she mustn’t let anything affect her plans again.

30 seconds.

She thought of Henry.

The world went black. Zero.

 

She was back in her own bathroom and she only just managed to scramble in front of the toilet in time. There was a loud knock on the door. 

“Regina,” Charming called. “Are you alright?”

“Give me two minutes,” she called back. She freshened up, unlocked the door and found Charming and Henry sat on the bed looking worried. The clock on the wall informed her it was 10 in the morning. “Why aren’t you at school?” she asked.

“I could take him but he would just run straight home,” Charming pointed out. “He’s worried about you. We all are.”

“We’re going to fix this.” Regina forced a smile on her face and bopped a finger lightly on Henry’s nose. “And I’m going to be fine.”

Her son stood up and took her hand. “Come downstairs and look at what we’ve done.”

They all walked down together and Henry led them into the kitchen. A selection of healthy snacks had been spread across the counter and he ordered Charming to make her some coffee. “I’ve been thinking about what we’ve missed so far,” Henry said, grabbing his notebook from the side. “Last time me and Charming talked with mom we thought about trying to find a way to get some of Zelena’s magic. But that was a stupid idea.”

Regina’s heart sank a little. “And that’s because..?”

“You’ve probably got less than a week long window to meet her in the past. After that she is barely even in your world again, right?”

Regina nodded slowly. “Of course, she was in Oz.” She looked at her son’s notepad and saw a family tree had been drawn on comprising of her, her mother, her father, and her sister. A question mark had been drawn on in the spot where the name of Zelena’s father should be.

Charming continued relaying the information. “We checked with Snow and what she saw when Cora was possessing her. Remember Zelena’s father was a gardener at the palace?” He took a pen and wrote the name Jonathan next to the question mark. “Trouble is he was long gone by the time Snow was born. She has no memory of ever seeing him.”

Regina understood what she needed to do. “So I find my mother and this gardener and get their blood as spell ingredients to replicate Zelena’s magic.” This was not going to be an easy task. She had to land in the right time period before she’d banished her mother to another land and track down an unknown man. “Do you think it will work?”

“I know it will!” Henry said just as Charming confessed he wasn’t sure. Whatever the odds it was still their best shot. Regina began eating as much as she could, knowing she would have to sleep soon. She was exhausted. “Can Emma and Belle help us find out more information in Storybrooke? What if he came over in the curse?” He could still be alive and in town. It was not pleasant to think about opening coffins but if taking something from her mother’s body would work then there was a chance she could get both ingredients in the present.

“We’ll start looking,” Charming said. He picked up his phone and started to make some calls.

“Nice work, Henry.” Regina praised.

She crawled into her bed and slept soundly once her hunger had been sated.

 

There was a loud crash when she next woke. She was lying on a cold stone floor in a corridor. When she looked to her side she saw a young woman frozen in shock with her hands over her mouth. Smashed crockery beside a metal tray covered the floor. 

“It’s okay,” Regina said, aware this servant might recognise her as The Evil Queen. “I mean you no harm.” She quickly waved her hand to change her clothes to something suitable for the Enchanted Forest and licked her fingers to wipe the blood off the skin under her nose.

A young woman in a turquoise riding jacket and long, brown hair in a plait came dashing around the corner. 

“Anastasia!” she cried in delight. “You’re back.” Belle assessed the situation and asked Regina to use magic to repair the broken dishes. “It’s ok, she won’t tell anyone about this, will you Mary?” The servant promised she wouldn’t. “And I won’t tell my father you broke our best dishes either.”

Regina adored how caring and trusting Belle was. Mo would have shouted and lost his temper. The teenager led her down the corridor and back to her bed chamber. The situation was quite a contrast to the last time she’d been in Belle’s bedroom in the future.

Whilst Belle could navigate the room she slept in quite easily Regina had a little more trouble. She wasn’t used to weaving around piles of papers and books on the floor and accidently kicked some over. Yet there was a logic and order to it all. Regina could see it wasn’t untidy or messy – just full of what Belle treasured most. She crouched down to return the books she spilled back to their original position. As she stood she saw a portrait of Belle and her mother hung on the wall. They looked happy. And close.

“I was wondering how long it would be before you came back,” Belle said. “Or if you’d even come back at all. You used magic to get here again. Is it out of control?” 

Regina sighed. “I can’t always choose my entrances and exits, no.”

“Well it hasn’t been that long since I last saw you. Only a year or so. I’ve just turned 17.” She was so eager to share her knowledge she didn’t give Regina time to speak. She pulled out some papers from inside a book on one of her many bookcases. “I’ve read every book I can get my hands on. I’ve shown everyone the sketch that I drew of your necklace from memory too but no one has ever seen it before.”

Regina remembered Belle said she’d found it at Rumpelstiltskin’s. “I’m sure a clue will eventually turn up.”

Belle nodded. “Why are you here?”

Regina led the young woman to sit on the bed with her. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m an accidental time traveller.” She waited for Belle to laugh in disbelief but she only looked puzzled. The older woman supposed Belle must have seen enough to know she could be telling the truth.

Belle pulled a face. “Oh yeah, how?”

“I fell into a portal,” Regina replied. “I was trying to make a barrier to stop other people from getting hurt and I was sucked in. I’ve been trying to stop it ever since.”

Regina paused for a moment as she thought of the best way to explain. She took a piece of paper and dabbed a quill in some ink. She drew a line horizontally across the centre of the page. “This represents the present,” she explained. “The space above the line is the future. The space below is the past. Have you ever seen water run out of a basin?” She started at the right side of the line and drew circles around the page, wide at first, then slowly getting closer towards the centre each time. “I’m on this journey of ‘present, past, present, future’ over and over again.”

“Is it painful?”

“No.”

Belle smiled. “You’re lying. You answered too quickly.”

Regina nudged her playfully with her elbow. “Alright, you’ve got me. It’s not too bad now, but the first time was awful. It burst my eardrums and I had a terrible nosebleed.” 

“So you know my future then. Tell me, what do you see? Do I have a library?”

Regina thought hard about what to say. Spoilers may well unpleasant at best and catastrophic at worst but it was only fair that Belle received some kind of preparation. “I don’t mean to scare you dear, but I know you in the future and somehow this portal has entwined our lives.” She took her hand and gave it a friendly squeeze. “I don’t know how many times you’ll see me. But I will continue to pop up at random points in your life. I have no control over it and well, sometimes you’re going to just have to go along with it, put up with it, and be brave." The older woman looked down at her feet. "I’m so sorry. I know it’s not fair.”

Belle sat quietly, thinking.

Regina jumped up, remembering what she had to do. “I’m so sorry. I would love to stay but I have urgent business to attend to.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Not unless you can fix time!” Regina joked. “Oh, and what year is it?”

Belle told her. Finally some good news. Her past self had murdered Leopold and Snow was on the run but her mother was still with her.

"You'll need a plug." Belle said. Regina raised an eyebrow. "If time is flowing through the portal like water in a basin..."

Regina smiled. It was a good idea. "Thank you for helping me today," Regina said. 

The distance between kingdoms was so great it took several ‘hops’ to get to the palace. As she didn’t have much time and her mother’s magic was strong she was going to have to be very audacious. So she used her magic to create a disguise to cover her face then dressed herself like a servant. She then transported herself into a store room she knew was quiet, pressed an ear to the door, and waited. Her heart was pounding and she was tired and dizzy but it felt good to have a solid goal to work towards. After the footsteps and voices had faded away she opened the door a crack to peek outside. It was all clear.

Regina snuck out and turned left into the kitchens. She knew if you acted with utmost confidence in what you were doing you could get people to do what you wanted. She grabbed a tray from the side. “I need two glasses of wine to take to The Queen’s quarters,” she said to one of the servants who looked familiar.

The woman paused, obviously because she didn’t recognise her.

“I started working here this morning. Please don’t keep me waiting. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

Whilst the servant had her back turned Regina slipped a kitchen knife up her sleeve. The woman handed over what she needed and off Regina went, pausing at the door. She knew why she seemed so familiar to her now. “You’re Johanna,” she whispered, replaying the moment her mother had smashed her body through the face of the clocktower. She recalled Snow’s cry of anguish and felt crushed by the guilt. If she’d been quicker…If she had anticipated her mother’s behaviour instead of believing she would do better…

But there wasn’t time for regrets now. She had to keep moving. She hurried closer to Johanna before leaving the kitchens and whispered in her ear. “I’ve seen Snow White recently. She's doing well and she sends her love.”

Johanna looked she was about to cry in relief as Regina dashed out of the room to find her mother. Her best guess, that she would be following her past self around in order to torment her, proved correct. Regina waited at the end of the corridor for her mother to walk out unaccompanied, thinking it better to avoid herself even if she was in disguise.

Finally she heard her mother bring the put downs and manipulation to an end; “It’s such a pity you’re so weak dear. You don’t have to be,” Cora concluded. It saddened her how her mother had been so unnecessarily cruel. Regina readied herself as Cora swept round the corner. She pretended to trip and flung the wine forward at her mother whilst scraping the knife along her bare forearm.

“Ow! You wretched woman. What in God’s name have you done?”

Regina played foolish and young. “Oh no! I am so sorry,” she stuttered. “I tripped. I didn’t mean to-” It was hardly necessary to think up words to say as within seconds her mother had interrupted her.

“Guards,” she shouted. “Guards!”

Regina grabbed a napkin and tried to soak up as much of her mother’s blood as possible. “Here let me-”

“Get off me you disgusting animal.” She shoved her away. “I’ll have you punished and dismissed for this.”

Regina had no choice to play along until she was out of her mother’s sight. Two men dressed all in black came running down the corridor.

“Take her to the dungeons to be whipped then get rid of her,” her mother ordered. “And send up another servant to my chambers to collect this dress. It will need soaking right away to clear the wine stains.”

The men grabbed Regina and dragged her down the corridor to the stairs. When no one else was around she disappeared in a puff of purple smoke knowing the two guards would never dare speak up about losing custody of her.

Regina looked at her timepiece. An hour and a half to go. She placed a preservation spell upon on the napkin, hoping the amount of blood on it would be enough. Then she transported herself back to Belle’s family’s kingdom and buried it in the middle of the woods. She scorched a burn mark into the tree to help her locate it later. Hopefully she could find a way to take it with her during a future jump.

A wave of dizziness washed over her, so strong she needed to sit down. She was hungry again and exhausted. If she’d been cleverer she’d have slipped some food out of the kitchens. But perhaps it was best she hadn’t as the servants would get into trouble if anything was discovered. Besides, it wasn’t too long until she could eat in the present. She was very lucky. Getting Cora’s blood had been easy. Too easy. It could have taken her many time jumps to land in the right time period. But she didn’t think about it for too much longer as her lids began drooping. She drifted off to sleep as another gust of wind blew more leaves off the trees.


	6. Help & Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We’ve found her!” a man yelled as he started dashing towards her. Others were running over too. 
> 
> “Stand back or I’ll use my magic against you!” she warned.

Regina woke in her own bedroom again and made use of the bowl by her side. Henry must have been hovering nearby as he hurried in immediately after she freshened herself up in the bathroom. She closed her eyes and breathed him in when she pulled him close. “Why don’t you take me downstairs and fill me in?” she said.

“Archie is here,” he explained as they walked down the stairs. “He’s been watching me whilst everyone is out trying to find more information.”

They went into the kitchen and Regina saw that more food had been left for her. “Thank you,” she said, tucking in after greeting him. She was grateful there was a regular chance to eat and rest in safety. 

“Everyone is meeting back here at 5 to share what they’ve learned,” Archie said. “So you’ve got 1-2 hours to relax.”

Regina checked the time piece and worked out that she had until about 5:30 before her time in the present ran out. “Well that’s enough for a soak in the tub.” It had been too long since she'd properly washed. She ruffled Henry’s hair on the way out. “I’ll be down just before 5.”

The hot water felt so good. 

She’d only just made it into the dining room when everyone started piling in. Charming. Emma. Hook. Despite her surprise at seeing the pirate it was the last person through the door that shocked her the most. Belle. The brunette slipped in quietly and stood near the door whilst everyone else sat down and made themselves at home. 

Charming took the lead. “As we discussed earlier I’ve been knocking on doors around town. A few people had heard of Jonathan but no one could give me any solid info.” He looked over to his daughter. “Emma, how did you and Hook get on at the old people’s home?”

“We found someone who lived in a village that was a few days’ ride from the palace.” Emma said. “She remembers a man matching his description causing chaos every once in a while in the local tavern.” The blonde looked over at Hook; “They used to warn their daughters about him apparently.” 

Hook cleared his throat. “Aye and we also managed to track down one of the bar tenders from the tavern. He’d worked there all his life. Said he hadn’t seen Jonathan for many years before the curse.” Hook handed over a piece of paper. “I’ve drawn a map of that part of The Enchanted Forest for you.” 

Whilst she would have let her mouth run free in the past, Regina pressed her lips together to refrain from making a quip about drawing with a hook for a hand. She examined the map and tried to commit it to memory whilst waiting for Charming to ask Belle what she’d discovered.

However there was just silence. Regina raised her head and looked round wondering what was wrong with them. Why weren't they asking her? “Belle,” she prompted. “What about you?”

“I’ve just come back from looking in the archives in the town hall. He’s not listed in any census. In fact there’s nothing to indicate that he came over with the curse at all.” She looked sympathetic to Regina’s plight. “I’m sorry.” 

Regina was still determined to stay positive in front of her son. “It’s no problem. Every bit of information we gain means we’re just another step closer to finding him, wherever he is." She realised she should exercise some good manners. "I’m just grateful that you’ve all given up your time to help me. Thank you.”

She filled them in on her last visit to the past and how she managed to take some of her mother’s blood. “So it would be helpful if you could research ways I could take items with me when I jump.” she concluded. “Or spells that help me to use the ingredients that will replicate Zelena’s magic in order to close the portal.” 

She looked at her watch and saw she only had about 10 minutes left. “Please excuse me. I haven’t got long until I’m out again.” 

Charming said goodbye so he could check in on Snow and Neal whilst Archie headed off to the nunnery to ask for information from the fairies on what Regina had just mentioned. Hook made eyes at Emma before leaving and the blonde ushered Henry out of the room.

Regina was glad to be left alone with Belle. “Thank you,” she said again, trying to show how much she meant it. Hardly any time had passed since Belle had told her she didn’t want to get involved. She must be tired of being dragged into this. “I assume the others asked you to help?”

“No, actually I saw them making enquires. When I realised what they were doing I offered to assist them.”

Regina felt moved by her kindness.

“I’d better go.” Belle said, turning to leave.

“No, wait..” Regina didn’t want her to leave. Not without the chance to talk further. Their situation was so fascinating. And the more she travelled and got to spend time with Belle the more she liked her. It was becoming painfully clear she’d never taken the time to find out anything about the bookworm before. Regina promised herself that would change. She started by picking up on what Belle mentioned to her last time they spoke in the present. “Have you and Rumple..?”

“Not yet, I’m still at my father’s place.” 

“What happened?” Regina asked.

“I was so angry at him for refusing to go with you and help block off the portal.” She looked ashamed to be associated with him. “There was no need for him to be so selfish. If he’d transported me we could have reached you in time.” 

Regina nodded in understanding. She could see how the younger woman could love the man behind the beast but no matter how many chances he was granted he never seemed to change. What always struck Regina was how Belle seemed to know it too, deep down. It was sad to watch her follow her heart over what her gut instinct was telling her. Memories of Future Belle banishing Gold from Storybrooke did however provide some comfort. “Forgive me for not speaking but anything positive or negative I say might reveal something,” she explained. 

“It’s ok.” Belle replied. “I understand.”

As she turned to leave again Regina added something else; “You know it’s so strange. I’ve just been in your childhood bedroom.” 

Belle pulled a face. “Oh yeah, which time?” 

Regina paused for a second as she realised there were more moments in the past she hadn’t been to yet. She tried to push the visit to Belle’s bedroom in the future out of her memory. “It was in your family castle. There were books and papers everywhere.” Regina smiled at how adorable she’d been. “And you said you were 17.”

“Ah so it was before I knew you were The Evil Queen then.” 

Guilt crept in again. And Regina wondered why Belle hadn’t known. 

Belle noticed and explained; “I’d been warned about her but as it happened I’d never seen a picture. Our kingdom was too far away to have seen her in the flesh. I was so confused that time I saw on the road when you told me to go back and kiss Rumple. Took me a long time to figure it all out.”

“I’m not that person any more.”

“Yeah, it’s been at least a year since you last locked me up.” 

Regina winced. “I’m so sorr-” But her apology was interrupted by the time piece glowing and ticking. 

“You should go upstairs and lie down before time runs out.” Belle said. “I’ll see you later.” They walked out of the dining room and paused by the stairs. 

“You’ll be happy, you know.” Regina knew she shouldn’t say anything but she couldn’t help it. She needed Belle to know there was a lot of good stuff coming her way. And besides, if Belle was dropping information pretty much every time they met then Regina didn’t see why she couldn’t share this one piece.

“You mean in the future?” Belle asked.

“Yes. In the future.” Regina grinned at the memory of Future Belle laughing and smiling. “So you see spoilers don’t always have to be bad news.”

Belle kissed her wedding ring on her finger. “Good.” A flicker of a hope was visible on her face before she left. 

Happy endings weren't always what people expected them to be.

 

With a start Regina realised she’d left it too late. Now she wasn’t going to have enough time to get upstairs. She cursed the decreasing amounts of time she was being given with every jump. She dashed into the sitting room and lay down on the couch just as the world blacked out. 

 

She awoke in a forest again as the sun was rising. Or setting. She wasn’t sure which. Did they spend all their lives amongst trees? And she hadn’t even said goodbye to Henry. Regina stood and immediately looked round to check for danger but apart from the shouting she could hear in the distance it seemed safe. For the next few minutes anyway. She could use magic so she knew she must still be within the town lines of Storybrooke. She tucked the time piece under her clothing for safety.

The voices grew nearer and clearer. People were shouting out her name. Why? She cupped a hand around her ear - it didn’t sound like anyone was angry or was chasing her. Just that they were concerned. Outlines of figures appeared. She raised her hands ready to attack as torch beams illuminated her. 

“We’ve found her!” a man yelled as he started dashing towards her. Others were running over too. 

“Stand back or I’ll use my magic against you!” she warned. 

Someone appeared in front of her. She realised it was Belle. The younger woman threw her arms around Regina and buried her head into her neck. “We’ve been looking all night.” Her body was shaking as though she was crying. “I’m so glad we've found you.” 

Regina felt utterly confused. The man who had shouted earlier had now joined them. It was Charming.

Belle stepped back and began to examine her. “Are you hurt?” 

Regina shook her head. There was the usual dizziness and exhaustion but nothing new. 

“You’re bleeding.” 

“I’ll be fine.” Regina licked her fingers to wipe the blood from under her nose and when she’d finished Belle pressed her lips against hers and kissed her, deeply. Regina froze in shock. 

“Erm, Belle. I don’t think you should be doing that,” Charming said. 

Belle pulled her head back. “What?” 

Red and Snow joined them out of breath from all the running. “I’ll let the others know we can call off the search,” Snow said, pulling out her cell. 

Charming looked worried. “Actually we still haven’t found her. Look at her outfit. It’s the same clothes she wears when she’s time travelling.” 

Regina brushed her fingertips over her own lips, overwhelmed with what she'd just realised. “Oh my god,” she whispered, gently pushing Belle off her whilst trying to get a look at her left hand. She tried to see if the same ring Regina had already seen her wearing in the future was on her finger but she was wearing gloves. 

“Well this is awkward.” Red said.

Belle covered her mouth with her hands in horror. “I'm so sorry. I was just so relieved we’d found you I didn’t think...” But the urgency of the situation left no time for talking. Belle pulled out an earring from her pocket. “Here, put a locator spell on this.”

“That’s something I own, in the future?” Regina asked. It was hideous.

Belle nodded. Regina waved her hand to conjure up some of the clear liquid which contained the magic and poured it over. The earring jumped up into the air and flew off. The others began running after it. 

Belle stopped suddenly and turned round. “Go back to the guest room in your house. You’ll be safe there,” Belle told her. “Don’t call anyone else and don’t leave.”

“What the hell happened to me?!” 

Belle took a few steps closer whilst pointing her index finger at her. “And don’t even think about wondering around the house to find anything out. If you even as much as peek out of that bedroom door I will kick your ass so hard.” 

Regina felt like she was being told off again for something she hadn’t done yet. She burst out laughing. This was all too surreal to comprehend. 

“Go!” Belle said before running off to join the others.

Regina transported herself home where the stillness of the room gave fear a chance to creep in. This was deeply disturbing. What had happened to her? It looked like her life was in danger. And where was Henry? Everyone had appeared to be a lot older. So was he safe with someone else, or adult enough to be out searching in the woods as well? 

She used magic to form a seal on the door and sat down with her back leaning against it. There wasn’t really anything else she could do. She hugged her knees and tried not to worry.


	7. Ale & Apple Spritzers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess what goes around comes around. 
> 
> Don't forget your jacket.

Regina woke and went through the usual routine; grab bowl, vomit, freshen up. She did not feel good. Emma and Henry had been sat in the room with her downstairs but she told them she needed to take a rest. Alone. She sat on the edge of her bed trying to process everything. 

There was a soft knock on the door. Emma walked in. “How long have you got?” 

Regina looked at her time piece. “One hour fifty.” Tears pricked her eyes. Soon she was going to be moving through time periods so fast it was going to be difficult to get anything done. 

The blonde took a seat next to her. “Can I get you anything?” Regina shook her head. “You might not be able to eat during the next jump.” 

“I know.” Food would be wise but she still felt sick.

“Archie called back. He said the fairies are working on something to help you.” 

Some good news at least. “Would you fetch me a dictionary?” she asked.

“Why?” 

“So I can remind you of the definition of ‘alone’.” 

Emma tilted her head to the side and smiled sarcastically. “That is an excellent idea. After that you can look up the word ‘stubborn’. Now tell me what’s going on.”

"Fine." She explained what had happened in the wood – except for the part about being kissed by Belle. She wasn’t ready to share that yet. “I hope I’m alright. I hope you and Henry are too. You weren’t even out looking for me,” she grumbled. “It’d better not be because you’re living in New York.” 

“Hey," Emma said. "That’s not fair. You can’t assume anything because you didn’t see me. I could’ve been anywhere!” 

Emma suggested she join them in watching Star Wars. The smell of popcorn wafting into her room was very appealing. Maybe a distraction was what she needed. “Please don’t tell anyone about all of this”, the brunette said on the way down the stairs. “Especially not Belle. I probably shouldn’t have even told you.” The words ‘catastrophic repercussions’ came to mind. 

When there was five minutes to go she went back up to her room, pained to leave her family. She wiped away the tears as she listened to the time piece tick down to zero. 

 

Regina came to, blinking at the strength of the light from a sun drenched sky. She stood and changed her outfit to a thin, summer gown once she realised she was back in her own land again. The blood took a little longer to mop up this time. She had to pinch her nose for a while to get it to stop. 

She began walking round the beautiful gardens she found herself in. It wasn’t long before she ran into the person who connected her to everything. This time she was a little girl with long brown hair flowing free. She ran up to Regina demanding to know who she was. The dress Belle appeared to be reluctant to wear was filthy. Play time must have been fun.

Regina tried to recall the conversation she had with Belle the first time she met her as a teenager. “I’m a friend of your mother’s", she said. "My name is Anastasia. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“Would you like to see my fort?”

Regina knew she should get straight to business but she couldn’t resist. “I would love to, dear.” Besides if Belle had already told her they’d played together then she was only ensuring time ran smoothly, wasn't she? Surely ten minutes wouldn’t hurt.

Belle hurried ahead excitedly through bushes and flowerbeds to a clearing in the trees. One blanket had been draped over a branch to form a roof of a den. Another covered the dirt on the ground underneath. There was food, parchment, and pots of ink scattered on top of it. Unsurprisingly, there was also a lot of books. The girl insisted on talking her through everything she had drawn and written. Considering she was meeting someone for the first time she was very talkative and trusting. Regina created a game where Belle had to imagine what was beyond her castle. They pretended they were famous adventurers travelling through all the kingdoms.

Regina looked at her timepiece. “I'm sorry, I have to leave now but keep having fun, dear.” She disappeared in a puff of smoke and kept traveling the land for real this time until she reached the road she needed.

A long time would have passed since Jonathan had tricked her mother. Regina had no idea whether he would still be in the area but she had to start somewhere. She disguised herself and went to the tavern Hook and Emma had told her about. It was not the kind of place Regina was accustomed to spending time in. It stank and straw covered the hard, dirt floor. There were no free tables or seats at the bar. People had to raise their voices to be heard. She tried the barman first and described Jonathan to him. He claimed not to know anything until she magicked some coin in her pocket and handed it over. Greedy peasant bastard. Did she look like she was made of money?

“Oh the women round here eventually cottoned on to him,” the barman laughed. “If you rounded up all the babes in the village a fair few must be kin. Though I’ve not seen the man for many winters.” 

“Any idea where he might be?” 

“I doubt you could do better than trying all the villages on the main road to Longborn. That port attracts all sorts.” He looked her up and down. “Are you with child too then?" he smirked. "If so I would take home a pretty girl like you. Your beauty would more than make up for the fact that the babe wasn't mine.” 

Regina spotted a half finished tankard next to her and threw it over him.

She used her magic to keep traveling to other inns and taverns along the route but her search yielded no results. Soon her time was up. She walked outside and round the back of the building she’d just been in and crouched down, praying for safe return back to her son.

 

Her eyes blinked open. A white ceiling came into focus. An arm thrust a bowl into her hands just in time. As with the nosebleed in the previous jump this time the nausea was worse. It took a lot longer for her to stop retching and throwing up. Emma passed her some water and nipped into the bathroom for some pills to calm her stomach. 

“I made sure Henry is in bed,” she said, successfully guessing Regina’s first question. “And he’s fine.” 

Regina tucked her legs up her chest and rested her head on her knees, taking deep breaths. 

Emma pulled out her cell and began typing a message. “I’m gonna get David to bring round some energy gels and rehydration sachets from the store. If this gets any worse we might have to think about calling a doctor.” 

“No.” 

“’Fraid so.”

“Were you sat on my bed with me?” 

“Just wanted to make sure you’re ok.” 

It was a rather strange kind of intimacy Regina wasn't used to sharing with Emma though she still felt moved. “Thank you,” she said quietly. Both women stayed on the bed until they were interrupted by a knock on the front door. Regina went to open it but it wasn’t David. It was Belle. Memories of the younger women pushing her lips against hers came flooding back. 

“Regina, you look awful. Are you alright?”

“Yes, fine thank you,” she said automatically. Too quickly. This was getting too hard to keep up with. One minute Belle was kissing her. The next she was 7 years old. Now she’s in her 20s on her doorstep. 

“Can I come in?” she asked. “I have something that might help.”

They went and sat on the couch. Belle handed over a piece of paper. It was a list of people Regina could try searching for in the past. “I've been doing some more research. These are all people without named fathers on their birth certificates in the area near the tavern Hook and Emma mentioned. But as with Jonathan I can’t find any trace of them here. I don’t know why. Maybe they died young or they weren’t in the areas affected by the curse when it hit.”

Regina found a pen and began writing the names on her arm. Belle tried to stifle a smirk. Regina sighed. “Tell me bookworm, what do you know that I don’t?” 

“I’ve told you before you can’t take anything with you.” 

Even ink on her skin? Regina immediately lost all enthusiasm for her task but carried on writing anyway, just in case. She was surprised Belle didn't make to leave once she'd passed on the information. Especially as it was so late. 

“You know what's strange?” Belle said. “Until you fell in the portal I didn't realise that you were doing your time traveling all at once. I thought your visits to different time periods were scattered throughout your adult life but they’re not. You’re living them all at once. No wonder you’re so exhausted.” 

Regina could only hum in agreement. Her head felt so heavy. And she was trying not to stare at Belle’s lips. Kissing her had not been unpleasant. She wondered how it came to be that Future Belle was so distraught at the thought of losing her she sobbed in relief when she thought she'd found her. Regina realised it’d been too long since she last said anything. “Sorry, I’m just very distracted by what I’ve seen recently. It’s a lot to take in and...there was a moment where I was in danger,” she explained whilst trying not to say **too** much. 

“Oh yeah, it’s a good job you ran the right way when you were cornered by Rumpleskiltskin.”

Regina rubbed her forehead. “Ok. Look," she said. "You really need to stop doing that. You keep chastising me for the things I do but you're the one dropping all the knowledge bombs.”

Belle raised her hands in apology. “Sorry every time I think I’ve…”

“Yes, so you keep saying!”

Belle steered the conversation to safer ground. “Well what else has happened that you can tell me about. Anything good?” Regina mentioned playing in Belle's garden together. “Oh yeah, we pretended to be explorers. That was fun.” Then Belle cringed slightly; “And I insisted on showing you every parchment I'd been using.” 

Regina smiled. “I didn’t mind. It was adorable. ” 

“You know it’s nice to be able to finally share those memories with someone. After the first visit I had to keep the rest a secret. No one believed me when I said you appeared out of nowhere to play with me. They all thought you were my imaginary friend.”

Regina realised that every time she’d met Belle in the past there'd been no one else around. “Wasn’t there anyone else who could join you?” She must have been lonely.

The younger woman shook her head. “Father always forbade me to socialise with the servant’s children, although my mother did let us play together when he wasn’t there.”

It had been a similar experience to her own childhood, except with the genders reversed. “No brothers and sisters?" Regina asked.

“No, my parents tried but there were some complications when I was born. My mother could get pregnant but she never managed to reach full term again.” 

“Oh.” It was a sad story but this new information explained a lot. Why Teenage Belle had been so excited by her return. How books were more than just a means to gather information; they were her unconditional friends too. 

There was a second knock at the front door. Emma answered it this time. Presumably it was David. A few moments later the blonde appeared in the doorway. “Hey Belle,” she said.

Regina saw her chance to leave. “Please forgive me,” she apologised. “But I really need to sleep.” She took a few energy gels and sachets from Emma and returned to her room.

 

There was loud music. The base was vibrating painfully in her ears. She opened her eyes and sat up. It was sweltering. She took off some of her outer layers whilst trying to keep her fingers and thumbs pinched together over her nose. She couldn’t feel her magic. The room was dark with beams of light spinning round. A few people were rushing to and fro to her right. 

“What the hell where did she come from?” she heard. A man crouched down next to her. “Are you alright?” he shouted. “Here let me help you up.” He looked her up and down, assessing the state she was in. “What are you doing behind the bar? You had too much to drink?” he asked.

She shot him a dirty look. “No.”

He looked sceptical. “Taken anything?” 

“No!” she replied. “I just slipped and fell over.” 

He handed her a napkin and asked someone to move from the nearest bar stool. He helped her round the counter to her seat. Regina thanked him and kept trying to stop the blood. She felt rough. The barman handed her a glass of iced water on the house. He then spoke into a walkie talkie and returned to serving the customers who were standing two or three deep. A DJ spoke over the music telling people to queue now if they wanted to get their drinks in time. 

Once the nosebleed had stopped Regina began looking around the...nightclub. It was large and open. Clean and tastefully decorated. They must be on the top floor of a building as part of the ceiling was glass which revealed a night sky outside. Regina took some large gulps of water then dipped the napkin in the cup so she could wipe the blood off her hands and face. As Belle had implied, her arm was now blank. She sighed. At least the dim lighting, crowds, and loud music had masked her appearance out of thin air.

She scanned the dance floor for Belle. It was reasonable to assume she was in here somewhere. Regina had never appeared anywhere she wasn't. She caught sight of her carrying two glasses over to someone sat at one of the tables. It was the woman with long dark hair Regina had seen in Belle’s bedroom. She wondered where this moment slotted in with the time she’d interrupted them having sex. Was this before, or after? 

The two women clinked their drinks together and downed them, laughing. Belle pulled the other woman onto the dance floor. Regina moved in for a closer look. They danced to the music pressing their bodies up close against each other. Then Belle stepped back grabbed the hand of the other woman and spun her round but Regina’s view of the moment was obscured by people squeezing through the crowd in front of them.

The DJ shouted over the music that there was 10 minutes to go. 

Whilst Regina only had a few fragments of information from the future she knew she had enough to piece together a timeline now. It made her heart start pounding again. She thought back to the party she saw in Storybrooke where the decorations had all been in white. At some point in the next few years Belle will banish Gold and by the time Neal is around 5 the bookworm will marry for a second time. To a woman who’s changed. Who has redeemed herself enough to be someone Belle wants to spend the rest of her life with...

Regina ran her hand over her own hair to feel its length against her neck. 

…To a woman who has let her hair grow so long it will fall down past her shoulders.

The couple spun round again and Regina got a clear look at her own face in the future for the first time. It was so sureal. 

She managed one last push through the crowd and leant against the wall, watching. Fascinated. Yet still trying to figure out how. She had long admired Belle’s strength, courage, intelligence, and determination. As well as her eagerness to do good and help others. Her sense of fashion was also very pleasing. Heels, short skirts, and matching leather gloves were deemed appropriate small town day wear. But love? If she hadn’t seen it for herself she would have never imagined they could end up together.

Regina supposed her past meant it was still a tale of beauty and the beast, just not the monster everyone had first thought.

The music stopped suddenly. The DJ shouted there was only 30 seconds left to go. Normally Regina would have felt a pang of loneliness like she had done when she had stumbled upon the wedding. But instead she was watching her future self be happy and she felt uplifted. The enormity of the situation dawned on her. It meant that she had finally found love again after Daniel. She began laughing. 

The crowd counted down from ten to zero. At the wedding she’d wanted to join in, unware that she was already there celebrating her second marriage too. This time she was a part of the moment. Everyone in the nightclub shouted Happy New Year and she yelled it with them. Jubilant. Her future self and Future Belle were now kissing. Then they embraced each other tightly for a long time before dancing again. 

A security guard tapped her on the arm. “Are you the woman who passed out by the bar? Where’s your wristband?” He grabbed her collar and dragged her into the elevator when she failed to provide one. She shouted and struggled on the way down. “Wait. Let me get my jacket!” It would be freezing outside if it was New Year’s. She didn't even know where she was. The man refused to let her go back so she swore at him and threatened to blast him with her magic even though she didn't have any. The door slid open on the ground floor and he shoved her onto the sidewalk outside.

“Please, you don’t understand," she pleaded. "I don’t have any money or a place to go. Just fetch me my jacket. It's by the bar.” She wasn’t used to being treated this way. “Do you want me to freeze? There is no need for this.”

“You’re lucky we’re not calling the police for entering the premises without paying.”

“I had no choice-”

He threw a half finished drink in her face. “Fuck off you idiot.”

She gasped and spluttered as she backed away from him. The wind whipped against her and she started shivering. Ice and snow made walking difficult. She tried asking other people in the street if they would lend her their coats or some money but they just pushed past her as thought she didn't exist. All the businesses on the street were either closed or charging for entry but she finally found an apartment block and managed to get buzzed in. It was still cold in the stairwell but at least her life wasn't in danger any more. If she began knocking on all the doors hopefully someone would let her in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on some manips to accompany the fic so I'll start posting them soon.
> 
> Thank you again for following this story. Updates will keep coming every 1-2 weeks. <3


	8. Tolle & Tribulations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shitballs I have no idea how a whole year has gone by since I was last able to update this. I'm so sorry.  
> But please be reassured that I do have an ending planned and one day this will get finished. I hope you continue to enjoy it. 
> 
> Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. x

When Regina regained consciousness it took her a few moments to realise where she was. Somewhere warm and soft. In a bed. In a dimly lit room. Her own bedroom? Her body was shivering and her mind had been numbed by the cold. She tried to sit up and grab the bowl beside her but she was too slow, vomiting all over her lap instead. Disgusted, she stumbled into the bathroom to clean up. After wiping herself down and brushing her teeth she sat on the side of the tub for a while, too exhausted and nauseous to do anything. 

Eventually she realised how quiet and still the house was. Normally one of the others would have come and checked on her by now so she went to look for them after slipping a robe on over a fresh pair of pyjamas. She tucked the time piece safely underneath. There was just under an hour until the next jump. Henry was sleeping soundly, which was a good thing considering his clock display was now showing 2:30 in the morning. Downstairs Emma and Belle had fallen asleep on the couch and armchair respectively. Regina gently pulled the door to behind her and went in search of sustenance.

She was stirring a saucepan of soup when Belle joined her in the kitchen. “I thought I heard something,” Belle said, yawning. She pulled her hair tie out and ran her fingers through the kinks before retying it. “There's more of what David brought round earlier,” she said, pointing at a pile of rehydration sachets on the counter. Regina nodded in acknowledgement. 

“So,” Belle grinned, drumming her nails on the worktop, “Bad jump or good?”

Regina was starting to feel a little bit like her science project. “A bit of both actually,” Regina replied. She kept a hand on the counter to help her balance. Despite her exhaustion she still found herself smiling back at Belle. She thought back to what she had seen in the nightclub. “You were certainly enjoying yourself.” 

“Good,” Belle said.

“I on the other hand was sat in some stranger’s kitchen in the middle of a house party trying to recover from mild hypothermia.”

“Ah,” Belle grimaced. “That doesn’t sound as fun.”

“I was shaking so much I could barely pour the coffee into my mouth.” Regina shuddered at the memory. “I was very lucky somebody let me inside”, she added quietly. They both stood in silence for a moment, aware the outcome could have been much less fortunate.

Regina filled up a bowl of soup for the two of them and left some for Emma in case she woke. She sank down onto a dining chair and tried to hide how difficult it was for her to eat because of the nausea. Belle joined her at the table.

“So you think it’s better not to know your own future?” Regina asked, remembering what Belle had said in her vault the last time they’d broached the subject.

“Well since you fell into the portal I’ve realised it’s not as black and white as it used to be.”

Regina blinked and shook her head slightly as her vision began to blur. “How so?”

“You always seemed to bring bad news,” Belle began to explain. “I tried to enjoy life but it was always there in the back of mind. It was a burden. A prison sentence I could never escape from.” Belle paused whilst she gathered her thoughts. “Though I guess it helped me focus on the good in life and make the most of any given situation.”

Regina tried to squash down the guilt that was resurfacing. “Didn’t knowing help you prepare for it?” she ventured.

“Yeah, and dread it,” Belle pointed out. “And feel afraid and alone.” 

Regina winced. One day when the timing was right she would give Belle that proper apology she was due, as well as try and make it up to her. “But what if it was good news?” she asked.

“Would you try as hard in life, knowing that no matter what you did it would happen anyway?” Belle said. “What would the point of your actions be?” 

“You could enjoy life without worrying about it,” Regina said.

“But would it be as satisfying if you hadn’t worked for it?” Belle asked. “If you hadn’t pursued it despite facing challenges and having days where you thought you might not realise your dreams?”

“Yes,” Regina mumbled, half joking. She forced another spoonful of soup down her throat. “But what if it wasn’t guaranteed? What if it was a glimpse of what could be but you had to fight for it, to make sure it would happen?” She thought back to what she had seen at the nightclub again. The stakes had risen. She could still be trapped in the wrong time and never see her son again. She could still die, or be maimed or injured. Or change something about their lives irrevocably. And now she knew she could lose the happiness she’d found in the future too. Talk about feeling pressured.

Belle considered the scenario carefully. “Well that still sounds like a burden to me. What if it never came to be? You would be devastated.”

“You’re still arguing that it’s better not to know anything,” Regina pointed out. “So where does the grey come in?”

“What you said yesterday…it gave me a lot of hope that things would work out with Rumplestiltskin,” Belle confessed.

How unfortunate. “So we need vague hints of optimism to boost morale but not too much to ruin our illusion of free will, is that it?” Regina couldn’t help but laugh at their apparent conclusion. Her heart was warmed by the fact that she’d made Belle laugh too. 

They finished their soup. “Aren’t you going home?” Regina asked. 

Belle shook her head. Regina felt grateful. She was going to need her support as the time between jumps grew less and less. There was only about 60-75 minutes in between each one now.

“Well get some more sleep then,” Regina said. She placed a hand on Belle’s shoulder as she took a rehydration sachet from the counter and headed out of the room. Once back upstairs she curled up under the covers and fell asleep.

She woke upon a messy pile of books and parchment.

“Who are you?” a young woman sniffed angrily. “Why are you in my bed chamber?” she demanded.

Regina sat up and felt blood dribble down her mouth and off her chin. She brought her hands up to her face in order to try and contain it. It was dark in the room. The only source of light came from a candle on the night stand that was almost burnt down to the quick. She struggled to see the figure sat on the floor by the bed. “Belle?” she guessed.  
The woman sniffed.

“Belle, it’s Anastasia,” Regina reassured. “We’ve met before. In your garden when you were a child. And a few more times when you were a teenager. How old are you now?”

“What’s it to you?” Belle said in between sniffs. She sounded very distressed.

Regina realised she could use her magic to stop the nosebleed. She recalled seeing a pitcher of water on the wash stand the last time she was here, so she stepped over the items littering the floor and began to wash her face. “I’m sorry to intrude upon what is clearly a very private moment for you,” Regina said softly. She began to dry her skin with a cloth hanging on the wall but realised it smelled of mould. Her sleeve would have to do the job instead. She picked her way back slowly across the floor towards the young woman and pushed some books out of the way so she could sit down. “What has happened to upset you so?” Regina asked. Now her eyes had adjusted to the light she could see a tray of uneaten food by the door.

“It’s my mother,” Belle said in between sobs. “The trolls managed to reach our castle and th- they killed her.”

Regina offered to fetch her father.

“No, please don’t,” Belle said. “He’s suffered enough. I don’t want him to be troubled by seeing me like this. I know he can’t bear it.” She let out a little hiccough. “I don’t know what’s come over me. I have been fine for weeks but tonight I just-”

Regina knew she should go. All her time in the past should be spent trying to get some of Jonathan’s blood. But she still felt so weak, and she was reluctant to leave Belle whilst she was so distraught. 

“Shhhh,” Regina soothed. She reached up and pulled a pillow off the bed behind her and placed it onto her lap. She gestured for Belle to lie on her side and rest her head on it. “Grief takes time,” Regina said, recalling her own losses whilst stroking the young woman’s hair. “You must miss her.” 

Trying to empathise only brought a fresh wave of tears. “I’ve always known that I shall have to spend the rest of my life without her. But today-” Belle sobbed, “today I felt the pain of what that would be like in a way I never have before.” Her body shook from crying. “I keep wondering around the castle as though I might find her. But she’s not here. I just want her here.” 

It was a hard moment to endure. Regina understood why people were, in general, so much better at avoiding the bereaved rather than comforting them. Being unable to stop their suffering left you in pain yourself. As well as feeling so powerless. She hugged Belle tightly. “Of course you do,” she said, wishing she could stay until dawn. 

Regina checked her timepiece and saw she had about 50 minutes left. She’d been a fool again, staying longer than she should have done. But the more time she spent with Belle the further the bookworm seem to bury into her heart. Regina would have to make the time she had left count.

She bid the young woman farewell and used her magic to transport herself back to the area where she’d first started to look for Jonathan, changing her outfit and hatching a desperate plan along the way. It would be risky and unpleasant but what choice did she have? She needed the blood of his kin. 

She started with the cottage nearest to the tavern and used her magic to slide the bolt on the other side of the door open. She crept in, trying to navigate her way around the rooms by moonlight. However this home was no good; there were two adults and two small children within. She needed someone who was old enough to help but young enough to be intimidated by her. 

The second house was also unsuitable. As was the third. By the fourth she saw a pillow and blanket on the floor of a stable. Perhaps this family had more children than bed space. She turned in order to walk over to the cottage door and jumped at the sight of a teenage boy in front of it, staring at her resolutely. He had a metal hammer in his hand. 

“Me dad’s in there,” he hissed. 

“Is he?” Regina challenged. 

The teenager tightened his grip on the hammer. "You try an' rob us an' I'll bash yer 'ed in."

Regina tried to stand tall and give the appearance of someone who wasn't feeling so exhausted. With a wave of her hand she used magic to disappear and transport herself right in from of him. He jumped back, startled, dropping his weapon. Regina grabbed a fistful of his hair. “You utter a sound and I will kill you,” she threatened, dragging him away from the cottage to avoid waking anyone. In the past this would have been fun for her. Now it wasn’t so easy. Another woman would care for this boy as much as she loved Henry.

She positioned him so that he was facing the main street in the village. “I am looking for the following people." She listed the names Belle had given her. “Do any of them sound familiar? If so tell me where they live,” she ordered. She held her free hand close to his face and created a small fireball. “Otherwise I will torture you with my magic.” He tried to squirm out of her grip but she kept a tight hold of him, pulling his hair harder still.

He refused to answer. She made the fireball larger so that the flames were only centimetres away. 

“Wait! Stop, please”, he begged. “That second one ya said. 'E lives at the end o' that road.”

“Take me there.” 

Regina used her magic to immobilise him whilst she crept inside. She found the boy and conjured up a needle to prick his finger and a small vial to keep the blood in. Once outside she began the process again. “Any other names you recognise?” 

He nodded. “Next village over.” As soon as Regina allowed him to move again she grabbed his wrist and transported them there. He took the chance to kick her sharply in the knee. She cried out in surprise but kept her grip as he tried to break free. She ended up scraping some of his skin off with her nails. His arm began bleeding.

“You little bastard,” she uttered. But she was interrupted by her timepiece ticking and glowing. 

“What the-,” he began, fascinated yet frightened. 

“It means my time is up,” she interrupted. She pushed him into the mud and put her boot on his throat. “If you ever tell anyone about this I will kill you.” 

She used magic to transport herself again, racing to get back to the part of The Enchanted Forest where she had hidden her mother’s blood in a previous time jump. Her fingers were smeared in red from where she’d scratched the teenager. The second she stashed the now blood covered vial alongside the tissue she'd put their earlier she felt the familiar sensation of being hooked through the stomach and yanked back, down into black. 

Her stomach heaved and she threw up on herself again. It was absolutely revolting. 

“Oh, wow, ok. Erm, here you go,” Emma said, handing her the bowl and some face wipes. “I’ve got some water here when you’re ready for it.” 

“Get out,” Regina whispered. She did not want Emma to see her like this. Not only was it undignifying it was making her look more and more unfit for motherhood. “Please,” she added. 

Emma held her hands up in surrender. “Alright,” she said. 

Regina pulled herself into a sitting position and lent back against the bedhead. She reached over for the water and pressed the tumbler against her forehead, enjoying its cool temperature. Sometime later Emma walked back in. 

“You were supposed to have come down by now.” 

“Were you sat watching me sleep again?” Regina asked after realising how quickly Emma had responded. “Because that’s still weird.”

“Belle told me you weren’t looking so good last time you came down,” Emma explained. “And the fairies have been round,” she said fishing a piece of paper out of her pocket. "I didn't want to miss the chance to share their info with you."

Regina used magic to change her pyjamas again and make the vomit disappear. She tore open the sachet and poured the rehydration powder into the water, listening to it fizz.  
Emma handed the paper over. “It’s an ingredient list. If you mix all these things together you should be able to bond Zelena’s parent’s blood with the timepiece. Pretty handy, right?”

Regina kept blinking, trying to get her eyesight to focus clearly enough on the writing so she could read it and memorise it. Thankfully the list wasn’t long.

“Oh and Belle’s still here for some reason,” Emma added.

Regina bit back a smile. “Send her up,” she instructed. 

But she must have passed out again because the next time she woke she was on a floor somewhere and it was moving. She pulled herself up onto her knees and crawled over to the wall so she could sit back and lean against it. Her face, hands, and chest were covered in blood again. She raised a hand, about to use magic to heal only she couldn’t feel anything here. She would have to do without. She pinched her nose hard to stop the flow. Where the hell was she? 

She looked around for clues. There were signs in a foreign language. Something like Chinese that used a different writing system. She could see sky out of the window. She managed to stand and watch fields and houses zoom by so fast she only had a second to look at them before they were gone again. There was a toilet next to her but it was engaged. 

A man dressed in a smart blazer, cap, and white gloves appeared looking absolutely astonished to see her. He began to speak calmly and quietly in a high pitched voice.  
“I don’t understand,” Regina answered, fingers and thumb still pinching her nose. “What language are you speaking?” 

The man hurried off and came back again with a companion in tow. They began talking but Regina couldn’t make out anything except for the word ‘ay-go’. 

“America jin dess ka,” the woman said. 

“Yes, yes. American!” Regina answered; delighted to hear something she could finally understand.

The train started to slow down and passengers began to file into the vestibule ready to disembark. The two people in uniform began to gesture towards the door. Whether it was to receive medical treatment or a fine for not buying a ticket Regina wasn’t sure. Panic washed over her. She didn’t want to get off. She had always materialised close to Belle. If she got off the train she could well be on her own. 

She nodded, feigning compliance. A few seconds later she shoved past everyone and hurried into the nearest car looking for Belle. She had to be here somewhere. A toddler wobbled into the gangway just as she was approaching and Regina accidentally stepped right into her. The little girl burst into tears.

“Oh, poor baby,” a woman said, pulling the child onto her knee. “Don’t worry Collette, mommy’s here.” The brunette looked absolutely stunning. Her skin was tanned and she had a very stylish fashion sense. Her sunglasses were resting on top of her head. Although her clothes were a bit worn - as though she’d been travelling for months on end. There was another child of about 4 or 5 sat next to her. The woman looked up at Regina, presumably about to apologise for her daughter being a tripping hazard, when she spotted all of the blood. “Oh god,” she said, clutching her daughter tighter to her chest. “Are you all right?”

But Regina didn’t stick around to answer. The train conductors were approaching behind her so she hurried on and continued her search in the cars ahead. As she reached the last one the train came to a standstill. Unsure of what else she could do she slipped out onto the platform hoping to find Belle waiting for a train nearby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Tolle - an author who wrote The Power of Now


	9. Right & Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter to those who mark this occasion.
> 
> Do subscribe and leave feedback if you haven't already. 
> 
> Thank you so much to all those who have been following along despite the absolutely ridiculous amount of time it's taking me to finish this. You are loved and appreciated. <3

This time Regina was so violently sick upon waking that vomit spewed out of her nose. She whimpered as the acid burned her nostrils. No amount of tissue blowing seemed to bring relief. Which led her to wonder - if she tipped her head back, would it be possible to pour some water up there and rinse? Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices. Then she heard some footsteps on the stairs. She didn't recognise the man speaking so she used magic to move from bed to bathroom and lock the door.

“Regina's room is right here,” she heard Emma say. “Thanks for coming before work hours.” She knocked quietly on the bedroom door. “Hey Regina.” She paused. “Regina?”

Sadly the latest round of nausea betrayed her hiding place so Emma tried to enter the bathroom.

“Aw come on,” she said, frustrated. “Quit hiding. You're clearly getting worse. I've got Dr Sherman with me. He can help.”

“Busy,” Regina gasped in between retching. If she could see into her bedroom she would bet that Emma was rolling her eyes right now. “Talk later.”

“Ok fine, we'll be waiting in the kitchen for you. Will you come down when you can?” Emma pleaded.

Regina vomited into the bowl again as the pair left the bedroom.

Once her stomach had calmed she rinsed her mouth and washed her face before walking down the hall. Doctors could wait. Seeing her son couldn't. So she lent on the door frame and watched him sleep for a while. She did the usual time check on his alarm clock. It was now 6:20am. Aka Day 4 of time traveling.

Someone cleared their throat quietly behind her.

“Belle,” Regina said softly, giving one last look at Henry before pulling the door closed. “I'm glad you're here.” Emma's support throughout this ordeal was incredible but she wasn't experiencing this in the same way that Belle was. Emma had no memories of Regina's visits to the past. And what Regina wanted most right now was to speak further with the person who had.

The two of them searched for the nearest place to sit down and settled for the top of the stairs. “Sorry I missed you last time,” Regina said, referring to how she'd fallen asleep before Belle had made it up to her room.

“Don't worry about it,” Belle replied. “I'd be tired too if I were you.”

Regina wrapped her dressing gown round tighter and lent against the wall. “So much has happened since we last spoke.” She filled her in on her visit to the village and the disappointment of only being able to get blood from one of the people on Belle's list.

“One is better than none,” the bookworm reassured. “Let's just stay focused on what steps you need to take next.”

“Well, the priority is trying to find more people who might be related to Jonathan I suppose,” Regina sighed. “The spell ingredients I can get from almost anywhere.”

“Sounds good”, Belle said. Yet of course Ms Curious couldn't wait any longer before asking how the last jump was.

Regina smiled at how quickly she had become the guinea pig again. “Not much to say really,”Regina replied. As usual she was unsure of how much to share and how much to hide. “I was on a train somewhere in Asia. Then I had to sit on a station platform until my time ran out again.” She folded her arms. “I couldn't find you anywhere. I had to mime being hungry until someone bought me some food from a vending machine,” she added grumpily.

Belle's eyes lit up. “Well I must have been there somewhere,” she pointed out. “Maybe I go traveling in the future. Which country?”

Regina shrugged and explained that she didn't recognise the language. Only that she could recall the words 'America jin'.

Belle pulled out her mobile. “Huh that's interesting,” she said as she began typing. “Anyway, let's recite the names of people you need to find and the ingredients that were on the fairies' spell list. The more we go over it the less likely you are to forget anything in the next jump.”

A wave of nausea overcome her again. She took deep breaths as she slowly reeled off everything. However Belle remained silent once she'd finished. “Well?” Regina prompted.

Belle held up her mobile. “Was this what the writing looked like?”

Regina stared at her, confused.

“When you were in Asia,” she clarified.

“I thought you were checking to see if I'd remembered everything!” Regina exclaimed. She pulled herself up with a huff. “I'm going back to bed. Honestly you're about as useful as Emma,” she muttered.

Belle stood and caught up to her in the hall, laughing. She helped her back into bed then lay down next to her on top of the covers, fingers linked behind her head. “I've always wanted to leave Storybrooke,” she grinned, staring up as though she could see a map of the world upon the ceiling. “The rest of this realm must be amazing.”

“Excellent, I'll bear that in mind,” Regina said sarcastically.

“Oh hush,” Belle chided. She propped herself up on her elbow and took the timepiece in her hand. She raised her eyebrows in surprise at the amount of time left. “This isn't enough,” she whispered, letting it slide out of her grasp and back onto Regina's chest. She looked incredibly worried.

This time Regina had been given about 35 minutes. Which meant she had that amount or less for any jump going forwards. Far from enough for everything that needed to be done. Tears pricked her eyes. “I'll find a way,” Regina said quietly, thinking of Henry.

Belle pulled an energy bar out of her pocket but Regina shook her head. She still felt too nauseous.

“Alright then,” Belle sighed.

The timepiece started ticking.

Belle lay a hand on her forearm and rubbed up and down with her thumb. It felt comforting. The last thing she remembered thinking was that her eyelids seemed to weigh a ton.

Drops of freezing cold water pelted her face. She rolled onto her side and discovered that the ground was grass and mud. She knelt and brought a hand up, trying to stem the flow of her latest nosebleed.

A younger version of Belle hurried up to her. “Anastasia, are you alright?”, she asked. She was wearing a pale blue dress and an embroidered cloak. Stray locks of hair stuck out from under the hood.

Regina looked round to try and get a grasp of her surroundings. They were in the garden of a castle. Bright white sheets had been hung on the line to dry – presumably before it had started raining.

Belle pulled her up on to her feet. “Come on, let's get you inside.” She led her through an open door into some sort of laundry room in the servant's quarters. She pointed to an up-turned wash tub. “Sit here until I fetch the rest of the washing,” Belle instructed. “My Master won't tolerate another night of grimy sheets.”

“No, wait!” Regina said, knowing that she had to leave and work her way through the villages in The Enchanted Forest again. But Belle had already run back outside.

Regina looked round the chilly stone room whilst she was waiting. To her left there were a couple of large windows, one of which was open. To her right lay another door. The rest of the walls were lined with wooden workbenches and wash tubs. Musty looking books and parchment had been tucked away behind them. She spied a cobweb in the corner of the ceiling with a fly ensnared in its thread.

Belle hurried back inside with a basket of sheets so large she struggled to carry it. She dumped it on the floor and pushed her hood back. “I can't believe I didn't notice the weather change,” she said. Regina was sure the open text laying on top of the nearest workbench had something to do with it.

“Is it bleeding badly?” Belle asked, crouching in front of Regina and lifting her chin up with her fingers.

Regina shivered at the unexpected touch. She lent away from Belle and stopped pinching her nose. “No, I think it's stopped now, thank you.”

“I haven't seen you for a while,” Belle said, boldly running her hands down Regina's forearms in order to feel the unfamiliar fabric. “How are you? No, wait. You should start by telling me everything about where you're from. I can't believe I still haven't found that out yet!”

Regina stood up, “I'm sorry, there's no time.”

Belle rose to her feet too and looked crestfallen. Regina understood why. It must be lonely for her in a grand castle with just two occupants. And she was never allowed to leave.

“I wish I had good news to tell you about time traveling. Or your timepiece,” Belle said. She waved her hand at the books hidden lazily around the room. “But even among my Master's belongings there's nothing that would be useful.”

Regina used magic to change from her pantsuit into Enchanted Forest clothing. She smiled sadly. “Thank you for looking.”

As she was about to leave a short man with reptilian skin appeared out of thin air, blocking the doorway to the garden. “Well, well, well. What have we here?” he announced melodramatically.

Regina almost managed to teleport away in time but she wasn't quite quick enough. A flash of magic whipped round the room and prevented her from making a magical departure. She remembered something present day Belle had told her about running right when she was cornered. So she dashed towards the internal door on her right hand side and sprinted down the corridor.

“Master, wait!” she heard Belle cry.

Rumpelstiltskin teleported so that he appeared right in front of her. She couldn't stop herself from crashing into him. He had a surprisingly strong grip for someone of his stature. She couldn't fight him off and he soon had grip of her wrist. She drew her free arm back in order to blast a fireball at him.

He tutted loudly. “Oh that's not a good idea,” he cooed. “Anything you do to me I will inflict upon Belle tenfold.” Regina let her arm fall to her side. Rumpelstiltskin used the opportunity to slam and lock the door leading into the laundry room so Belle couldn't follow them.

He cocked his head and peered at her with great interest. “Funny, that threat would have never worked on you before.”

Regina knew she should just blast him with magic and try to leave anyway but couldn't bear the thought of Belle being tortured any more than she had been – no, than she would go on to be.

“Aren't you a curious thing”, he continued. “Regina, yet not The Evil Queen. I've never seen you so old.”

How rude. “You have no idea what you're getting involved with,” she hissed. “You have to let me go.”

“Not when you've been such a naughty girl,” he shrieked. He ripped the timepiece from her neck.

“No,” she cried.

“No one steals from me and gets away with it!”

Regina suddenly found herself in the castle dungeons. The cell must have been modified in some way as she could no longer use any of her magic. She punched the nearest wall.

 

Back in present day Storybrooke, the vomiting was the same as when she last woke up. Her nostrils burned from the stomach acid yet again. She tilted her head back and tipped the glass of water up her nose in desperation. She coughed and spluttered until she managed to clear out the liquid then wobbled into the bathroom with her bowl.

“Are you for real?” she heard Emma say loudly from the hall.

“I don't think now is a good time to go in there,” Belle replied.

“Get out of my way. She needs to be looked at by a doctor.”

“Not without her consent!”

But Regina missed the rest of their argument as their words were muffled by her sobbing.

 

 

The next time she woke she was in someone's kitchen. All the lights were off and it was sometime in the night. She remained on the floor, pinching her nose whilst her eyes adjusted. Though she had to use her left hand to stem the flow of blood as the knuckles on her right were stiff and swollen from punching stone.

Now that the shock of losing the timepiece was fading she tried to rationalise what had just happened in The Enchanted Forest. And she knew that she needed to calm herself down. This whole thing was all pre-determined wasn't it? Losing the timepiece must be part of what happens. She would surely get it back in her possession again just as easily. Then she would find the blood of one of Jonathan's children, mix it with her mother's, fuse the two with the pocket watch, and cheer as everything went back to normal. She would be laughing about it all with Henry before the weekend.

The nosebleed didn't seem to be stopping so she used her magic to heal it. As she hadn't eaten during her last couple of trips she planned to prioritise finding food before the bookworm. A key was inserted into the front door. Regina froze at the sound. The the lock clicked and the door was pushed open.

“Are you alright,” her future self said to her partner, almost laughing.“You look like a child who has been told they can't have any dessert.”

“I hate coming back off holiday,” Belle sulked. “It's so depressing. Especially when it's raining. Even just running in from the car has got me all wet!”

The front door was slammed shut. Two women appeared in Regina's line of sight with a backpack and one enormous suitcase in tow. Her future self reached for the light switch.

“No, no, don't turn them on.” Belle said. “I'm not ready for our first trip away to be over yet.” She stepped closer to her future self and wrapped an arm around her waist. She fished her phone out of her pocket. “What was that song playing in the restaurant?” she said, scrolling upwards. “Ah, that's it.” She put her phone on the table in the hall and took her future self's hand in hers. They began dancing slowly in the hall. Belle laid her head on her chest and tried to convince her to call in sick to work the following morning.

Regina couldn't help but envy them.

"Maybe we could go abroad next," Belle hinted. But she received no reply.

As the couple circled round Future Regina noticed her sitting on the kitchen floor. She jumped in fright and stepped in front of Belle, protecting her. A large fireball appeared in her hand. “Stand up slowly,” she called out. “And keep your hands where I can see them.”

Regina did as she was told. “It's alright,” she reassured. “It's only me. I mean, it's only you. I'm your past self. And don't worry, I already know you're together.”

“Hey,” Belle said, reaching over to switch the lights on. She winced at the sight of her; hands and face covered with blood. Eyes now red and puffy from crying. “You don't look good.” She walked over to the sink and found a cloth for Regina to mop herself up with. Then she turned to Future Regina and asked her to find something for them all to eat.

But Future Regina, (who was rapidly becoming in need of a shorter nickname), didn't move. In fact all the colour had drained from her cheeks. Meeting yourself for the first time was an already surreal experience. Her future self's stare of horror was not making it any easier. In fact the look on her face was quite terrifying.

“Darling, what's wrong?” Belle asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

Her future self stormed over and began patting down her sternum. Then she felt under her shirt before pushing her backwards in disgust. “Why don't you have it?” she hissed, referring to the timepiece.

Regina didn't follow, “You're me. You must already know.”

But she was met with silence.

“Don't you?” she added feebly.

She watched the despair wash over her Future Regina's (Fugina's?) face. She could barely croak the words out. “What have you done?” she asked.

Regina felt like the floor had given way beneath her. Like she was sinking endlessly. Thankfully at that moment Belle chose to intervene. She took her partner's arm and propelled her gently towards one of the stools at the breakfast counter. She sat her down and asked her to explain. But Regina could guess what she was going to say; that she had never lost the timepiece.

“I've never met my past self,” Fugina continued. “I, I saw me in the nightclub at New Year's, I saw glimpses of me from behind. But nothing like this. This is completely wrong. This shouldn't be happening.”

Belle cupped her partner's face. “Ok, so history is not running exactly the same as it did. So what? I have every faith that past you can fix this.” She looked over and smiled warmly at Regina.

“Well there I was hoping you were going to give me some top tips on how to recover it,” Regina joked nervously, “but I guess not.”

“She's not taking this seriously enough,” Fugina wailed. “She's going to fuck this up like she does everything that has ever made her happy.” She held onto Belle for support. “You're the love of my life. I can't lose you. I won't.”

Belle kissed her on the forehead. “I know, darling. I know.”

 

After Belle had ushered Fugina out of the room she made a large plate of sandwiches. Regina forced a couple down gratefully, eating in silence as she couldn't think of anything to say.

“Don't mind her,” Belle reassured. “She's scared. And we've just come back from celebrating our first...oh.” She managed to stop herself from revealing more spoilers. “Anyway, she gets mean when she's tired and hungry,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.

Regina smiled. It appeared that no matter what the future had in store some things would never change. She brought up the day in Belle's past when she had popped up in Rumpelstiltskin's castle whilst she was doing the laundry. “What did I do, when he appeared?” she asked.

“You jumped out of the window.”

“But you said. You said I ran the right way.” It all seemed so utterly unfair. She pushed her plate forwards and folded her arms on top of the counter so she could rest her head on top of them.

Belle took a moment to recall the conversation they'd had many years in her past. “I meant that you ran the right way in order to escape, not that you ran off to your right,” Belle said. “Oh, Regina I'm sorry.” They sat in silence for a while, listening to the rain hammering against the window panes. “How much time have you got left?” Belle asked.

Regina shrugged. “Not enough I guess.” Belle lay a hand on her arm and rubbed up and down with her thumb.


	10. Red & White

Regina pulled herself up onto her knees and crawled towards the toilet. She felt too nauseous to stop retching despite having nothing left to expel. When it finally abated she rested her head on the cool porcelain and caught her breath.

There was a soft tap on the door. 

“Mom,” Henry said. “I know you're in there. Can I come in?” 

Regina debated the pros and cons of opening the door. Her first instinct was to protect him – but if he hadn't been awake already Emma and Belle's argument in the hall would have roused him. He already knew the situation had worsened overnight. And besides, it would be wise to consider a less favourable outcome now. This might well be her last chance to spend some time him whilst she was fully conscious.

She conjured up a chain round her neck that looked like the one that had held the time piece so he wouldn't notice it was missing. She didn't want to worry him. “One second,” she called, before freshening up and stumbling forwards to open the lock. He barely gave her a chance to stand out of the way before he pushed the door open and rushed forwards for a hug. 

Regina used magic to lock the door again. She needed time alone with him without any other well-meaning women interfering. “Where are the others,” she asked. 

“At the top of the stairs,” he sighed. “I told them you would talk to me but I couldn't get them to go any further away.” 

They sat down on the side of the tub. Tears pricked her eyes again. “I'm sorry, for all of this.”

He was so eager to reassure her. “None of this is your fault.” 

“But I still haven't fixed it yet,” she said. 

“But...you will,” he countered, as if it was obvious. 

His complete faith in her took the edge off hopelessness. She took his hand and held her breath for a moment so she could compose herself before speaking. “My periods of consciousness won't last very long now,” she said. “I might not get to spend much time with you after this.” She gestured towards the toilet. “By the time I've stopped vomiting everywhere, I'll be out cold again whilst I'm off on another time jump.” 

“That's OK mom, I've got a plan.” 

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. 

“We're going to finish our Star Wars marathon from the other night – but on your bed. That way we can spend some time together whilst you get a chance to rest.” He stood and tugged at her hand to get her to follow him. “And because you know the plot so well already it won’t cost you any extra effort.”

As she shuffled slowly over to the bed she saw his laptop had already been set up, waiting on top of the covers for its audience. A wide array of drinks and energy bars had been crammed onto her bedside tables. She sat on the bed with her knees to her chest. 

“Go ahead, play it,” she said. She lent her head back against the pillow. “I'm going to listen whilst I rest my eyes for a bit.” She smiled as the movie started up again from the last point she remembered watching it. 

“Great!” Henry said, hopping off the bed. Just gonna fetch Dr Sherman so he can put a drip in.” 

Regina sat up in alarm. “Wait a minute, what?”

“He says you're dangerously dehydrated,” Henry called as he dashed out of the room. 

Regina wasn't sure how the doctor had made that diagnosis, given how he had not even examined her. And wasn't there a man with that name at the dental practice? 

She took an energy bar and began roughly unwrapping it. When this was all over she was going to have words with Henry about skipping school again, and conspiring with the enemy.

 

 

“No. No, not you again,” a women said, laughing out of anger and despair. “I should have known you would show up today. You just can't keep away can you?”

Regina was lying face down on a...stone floor? Except there was a pool of blue light shining onto it which was filled with an intricate patten of black tree branches. She recognised this design. It was one of her own. She must be in a cell in one of her castle towers.

“Belle?” she asked.

Regina breathed in through her nose, forgetting for a moment what happened with every trip to the past. She choked on the blood and began coughing. As her view came into focus she saw she was in large, airy, room devoid of furniture – except for a bed. The woman was stood a few feet away. Regina's heart sank at the sight of her; unkempt, malnourished, and in rags. 

“Get out,” Belle hissed. 

“Please wait. It's me. The good me.” 

“You can't fool me,” Belle replied. “Not any more. Now leave!” 

Regina scrambled to her feet. “Well let me get you some food or water or a book or something.” The Evil Queen had left her nothing except bare walls Belle could scratch lines on to mark the days of her captivity. 

Belle let out a strangled cry and flew at her. She knocked her back onto the floor and hit her anywhere she could land a blow. “Get out,” she yelled, over and over again. 

 

Regina used her magic to transport herself outside of her castle grounds. She sat down on a tree stump to gather her thoughts and compose herself. Out of habit she reached up to her chest to check the time piece before realising it was no longer there. No matter. She would find the spell ingredients and the blood. She had to keep moving. There was no time to think about what she'd put Belle through in the past just yet.

It was daylight so she couldn't sneak around the villages unseen. Short of popping up out of nowhere and throwing fireballs at everyone she wasn't sure what she could do. What would Hook or Emma do? Probably just swagger in and charm the peasant folk into giving them what they needed. 

An idea hit her. Yes, that was exactly what she would do. She waved her hand to change her clothes and equip her with a satchel, parchment, ink, and a quill. She would be Emma Mills, Missing Persons Agent. Another wave of the hand covered her face with a magic disguise. 

She rattled off the list of names Belle had given her as she walked into one of the villages on the road to Longborn. 

“Excuse me,” she said, stopping a friendly looking passer-by and showing them the names she’d magicked onto her parchment. “Have you seen any of these people?” 

The woman was understandably weary. “What for?” she asked, looking Regina up and down.

“Missing inheritance.” Regina realised the major flaw in her plan when the peasant's eyes lit up. “No money I'm afraid,” she added hurriedly. “Just letters, sketches, notes of the family history, that kind of thing. Something of personal value that has little worth to anyone else,” she stressed. 

The woman's eyes returned back to the default setting of suspicion. “And you charge a fee to the next of kin do ya?” She shook her head in disgust. 

“Not at all!” Regina tried to reassure. She plastered on a smile. “The only payment I need is the joy of knowing that the items are back in the right hands, with the family.” Regina noticed that the woman still hadn't looked at the names. “Perhaps I might read them to you?” she suggested, saving the peasant the embarrassment of admitting she couldn't read. 

Five names down there was a man's name the woman recognised. “Next village over,” she said.

Regina continued down the list. 

“Ah,” the peasant interrupted her. “Sarah's here. House right at the end by the stream but...”

Regina cursed inwardly. Could nothing ever be simple?

“...she got a terrible sickness. Eating her up from the inside that is.” 

Charming. “No time like the present then!” Regina said, flashing her best fake smile again. They hurried down a muddy trail to the lodgings the woman had described. Aware that time wasn't on her side Regina pretty much walked in as she was knocking and quickly began retelling the lie to it’s only occupant; a women sat by the fire in a rocking chair. She looked about 5 or so years older than Regina and could barely give her name without coughing. 

“Won't be long now,” Sarah gasped after apologising for her condition. “It started in me bosom but then it spread. Swellings everywhere,” she wheezed. “Now it's in me chest.” 

Regina felt her nose running. 

“You're bleeding,” the first peasant women said. 

Regina sniffed and wiped it with the top of her finger. Not wanting to waste time discussing it she carried on as though no one had pointed it out. “Let me see,” Regina said, placing a hand on Sarah's rib cage. She sent out a little shock of magic in order to get a feel of the problem. But it was a growth – a cancer perhaps. Not something she could fix. Her magic healed wounds. Knitted skin and bones back together. But trying to heal this kind of problem only made the cells multiply faster. 

“Oh, how terrible,” she said. “You must be in a lot of pain.” But there was no chance to delay now. “Anyway in lieu of a signature I just need a fingerprint from your blood.” She took Sarah's hand and pricked the finger, then pressed it down on one of her pieces of parchment like she was doing something official. She pulled out a rag and held it against the Sarah's finger to collect her blood.

Sarah took the faked documents with interest. “I never knew my father,” she sighed. “Not my real one anyway.” A coughing fit overcame her again.

“Oh well I must be off,” Regina said. “So many people to find. Farewell ladies!” 

“Wait up,” the peasant women shouted after her. “These letters are nonsense.”

Regina dashed out of the house. As soon as she was out of sight she used magic to transport herself back to where she thought the secret hiding place was for her ingredients. Belle was younger when she’d collected them. And it was before she'd banished her mother to Wonderland. So the tree she'd scorched should be there. The other vial of blood and the preserved tissue (containing her mother's blood) along with it. But she couldn’t find her marker. She began checking all the trunks frantically as she put a preservation spell on the rag. But soon there was nothing else she could do except let it fall into the mud. Her time was up. The sickening feeling of being hooked and dragged backwards through the ground overcame her once again. The world turned black. 

 

When she woke next she counted four people stood round her bedside as she threw up. The laptop must have been cleared away whilst she was unconscious. “This is why I began locking myself in the bathroom,” Regina quipped. 

“We just wanna make sure you're alright,” Emma said, holding her hands up in surrender. When Regina's stomach had calmed she stepped forward and placed a hand on Regina's forehead. “She's burning up,” she told the others. 

“Yes, alright, she's also still here and can speak for herself.” Regina muttered.

“And the nausea?” Doctor Sherman asked her.

As if her stomach heard him speak another wave overcame her at that moment. Thankfully she managed to hold it in. She lent back against the headboard and took some deep breaths. “Not good,” she said. 

“As I stated earlier,” Dr Sherman announced, “admitting her into hospital again would be the best course of action at this point.” 

Regina shook her head. “No. No hospitals. I don't like them.” She was already revolted by the sight of the needle from her drip puncturing her skin again. 

“Why won't you consider it?” Emma pleaded. 

Henry looked between both of his moms, unsure over which one he should be supporting. Clearly he wanted to respect Regina's wishes but he also looked like he thought Emma had a point. “Why won’t you, Mom?”

“This is magic related condition. You don't have people who can do magic at the hospital. So please, tell me what the point of leaving the comfort and privacy of my own home would be,” she asked bitterly. 

Regina looked over at Belle to gage her reaction. She hoped that she would be an ally as she had been previously. The bookworm’s arms were folded. Her expression showed concern but ultimately remained guarded. Regina sighed and was about to look away again when she noticed Belle discreetly hold up two fingers in the shape of a 'V'. Then she gave her hand a quick flick – the way Regina did when she was transporting herself with magic. She turned her head back to the others again to keep their attention away from Belle whilst she worked out her secret message. 

Doctor Sherman asked for Henry to leave the room, and when he protested that he was old enough to be there and he understood everything that was going on Belle took him gently by the shoulders and led him out. 

“I take your point,” Doctor Sherman answered. “For nausea and rehydration yes, there's not much we can't do here with a little creative pilfering of medical supplies. But we don't know what we're dealing with here. What if you have a seizure? Or your heart stops?”

“Alright,” Regina said. “Fine.” 

Emma sighed in relief. “I’ll drive you to the hospital. Do you think you can walk down to the bug?”

“Yes,” Regina replied. “Would you mind putting a few things into an overnight bag for me though?” 

Doctor Sherman said he would wait for them downstairs whilst Emma gathered up what Regina would need in hospital. Regina turned her thoughts back to Belle and her 'V' sign. She thought of places in Storybrooke and listed off rooms within the house. Where would be a good spot to escape to? When she worked it out she grabbed a handful of rehydration sachets and energy bars, took the drip off the makeshift stand by her bed, and transported herself there in an instant. 

 

The world came slowly into focus. Shelving loomed over her on either side. She sat up gingerly. Nose. Blood. Dripping as usual. Although this time there was no magic to help her so she had to sit still and keep her fingers clasped tightly on her nose. God she was so sick of this. 

“You really need to de-clutter,” a man laughed, not so far away. 

“It's not doing anyone any harm,” a woman pointed out. She sounded old. Regina didn't recognise either of their voices. “Besides the grandkids love playing with all the old gadgets,” she continued. 

“To think they were all once state of the art once,” he said. It sounded like a box was being dragged across the floor. “Need a hand with that,” the man asked. 

“Oh hush,” the woman chided. "I get enough of that from everyone else. I can still do things by myself you know." Now Regina could hear them rummaging through the box. “Why do you want to look through all of these anyway?” the woman asked. 

Regina used her free hand to pull herself up. She held on to the shelving for support then stepped forward as quietly as she could, intrigued and curious for a closer look. She peered through some junk piled up on the shelves in time to see the middle aged man shrug. 

“I don't know. It's been decades since I last saw them. I know all of mine off by heart anyway."

"And..." the woman prompted. Clearly she knew him well enough to know there was more.

"I guess having my first grandkid on the way is making me feel nostalgic.”

“Well wait until you have 5,” the woman chuckled, “And one great-grand kid.” She paused to rub her temples. “Ah, here we go. Everything from our first anniversary onwards.” They flicked through the albums for a short time, laughing and pointing out things to each other in the photos. Regina let go of her nose. Thankfully the bleeding seemed to have stopped. 

“Oh there you go, there's all your side of the family. So young,” the woman said. “Before the royal twins came along.”

“I never understood why they didn't keep in touch with you,” the main said. The woman suddenly clutched the man's sleeve and froze. “What?” he asked.

“Tell me I'm just old and senile,” she whispered. 

The man followed the women's gaze across the other side of the room. Regina realised that they were looking at the reflection in an old mirror. She stepped behind some larger objects on the shelf but it was too late, they had already seen her behind them. She cursed inwardly as the pair walked cautiously towards the shelving. Regina licked her fingers and tried to wipe off the blood covering her chin and philtrum.

She looked behind her but there was nowhere to go. Plus being somewhere without magic meant she couldn’t use her powers to escape. And she must be getting delusional from all the time travelling because she could swear it was getting whiter and brighter inside the garage. 

The two appeared round the corner of the shelf. A few tears slid down the old woman's cheeks. “You big fat liar,” she whispered, taking Regina by surprise. That was not what she was expecting to hear. What tales she was supposed to have told, Regina didn’t know. 

The old woman’s skin was saggy and creased. Her hair, grey. Her voice had deepened with age but the eyes hadn't changed a bit. “Damn, you're old.” It was a rude comment to make but the words were out of her mouth before she could help it. “Sorry,” she said. “I erm, this is quite a shock." Regina realised she should explain what she knew already. "I know we got married but not much after that,” she explained. "So no spoilers, OK?"

Belle walked closer and cupped Regina’s cheek with her hand. “I never stopped loving you,” Belle smiled sadly. “If there's only one thing you take away from this, please let it be that.” She withdrew her hand and massaged her temples again. 

“Are you alright?” Regina asked.

“Just a headache.”

The garage grew brighter still. The three of the them looked round for the source in confusion. That sinking feeling was back in Regina’s stomach. This was not good. It was as though the light was flooding reality out of existence. 

Belle grabbed on to Regina and held her tight. The man stepped closer too. Regina extended her arm towards him so they could take each other's hand. “You must be Grandpa Henry,” Regina teased. But she could barely recognise her own voice it was so distant and distorted. 

And then their time was up. 

 

 

Regina woke on the makeshift cot she had conjured up in her vault. She lent over and hurled into the bucket she'd managed to leave for herself. She heard footsteps. Belle rushed in and skidded to a halt. 

“The world, it's still outside?” Regina checked. 

Belle looked utterly baffled. “Erm, yes?” 

“You were just outside?” 

“Yes.”

“And the world was still there?” 

“Yes.”

“And it wasn’t all...white?”

“Are you hallucinating?” Belle asked.

“I wish,” she replied. 

“Tell me that by aiding your escape from the house I was doing the right thing,” Belle challenged. She looked like she was starting to regret her actions.

Regina lay back on the cot and began laughing manically.

Obviously this behaviour was not the reassurance the bookworm was after. “Alright, what am I missing,” she asked.

“I've messed up,” Regina began to explain. “And now I can't fix it. The future's going. Or maybe it’s gone already. It doesn’t matter. Either way it's too late.” Regina thought of the distant-future Belle and Henry. The photo albums in the garage. Of Fugina and Belle, and all the times she'd seen them in the future together. A future that had now been erased by bright, white light. Everything was both fucked up and yet utterly magical. The world had been wiped. How many people got to see that? 

Belle shook her head in dismay. She sat down next to Regina and picked up the IV bag. She gave it a hearty squeeze. Clearly she thought that a lot of Regina's mental state was down to being dehydrated. After all, she didn't know the timepiece was missing yet. “I know it's hard but you have to stay focused,” she said softly. 

Regina passed out before hearing the rest.


	11. Stars & Sea

For once Regina actually woke up in a place of comfort. She was in a stone room, lavishly decorated, and she was on the double bed. Her feet may well have been where her head should lie, but who cared when you weren't on the floor for a change? She pinched her nose and sat up, careful not to get any blood on the covers. She used her used magic to stem the flow and change out of her pant suit into Enchanted Forest clothing. The door was behind her. She had to get up and investigate despite the temptation to sleep.

She dragged herself off the bed and put an ear against the wood. Silence. Regina decided to take the plunge. She was now standing in a hallway. This place was too pretty to be Rumple's castle. Perhaps it was a part of Belle's that she had never seen before. To her left were more bedchambers so she headed the other way down the corridor, holding on to the wall again for support. She passed a sitting room and a study, both empty.

The next room was quiet except for a women murmuring words of encouragement. Then a baby shrieked in delight. Regina pushed open the door and walked inside. The woman grabbed her child and held her close. She spoke softly yet firmly. “Who are you?” she demanded. “How did you get in?" 

Regina looked around in awe. They were in a large, beautiful room full of books. Some of the shelving was so high there were ladders on rails so you could reach the top. At the heart of the room some armchairs surrounded a fireplace. The women was sat in front of the fireplace on a soft blue rug. She might as well go along with the usual 'disguise'. “My name is Anastasia,” she said. “How I got here doesn't matter.” 

“I know about The Black Fairy,” the woman warned. 

Regina had also heard of her. Baby boys were taken in the night and raised as slaves. She raised her arms in surrender. “I mean you no harm.”

“Then why are you here?” 

"To erm, bring blessings," she fluffed, "for the newest member of the family!" Might as well pretend to be a fairy godmother when life grants you the opportunity. 

The woman looked puzzled. "But she's already 10 months."

“Yes, well, there was a baby boom in the kingdom so we've been very busy," Regina blustered. She was keen to move on quickly. "Why don't you tell me your name, dear?”

“Collette.” 

“And your child?” Regina was certain she already knew but she wanted to be sure. 

“She's called Belle,” the woman answered. She fussed over her daughter, who was now squirming and shrieking in delight again. “She's a bit excited,” the woman explained. “She just took her first steps.” 

Regina smiled, endeared by the fact that Belle had learned to walk in a library. “Of course she has,” she laughed. She walked closer and joined the woman by the fire. It was good to sit down again. Blood was tickling the inside of her nose. She sniffed. “I don't have long,” she said, “But before I go, may I?” she asked, holding her arms out for the baby. 

Collette reluctantly placed her in Regina's arms. Regina couldn't believe how trustworthy this woman was. Belle kicked her legs out, eager to be on the move again.

“It's way past her bed time,” Collette sighed. “But she won't sleep.” 

Regina sniffed again. “She is absolutely adorable.” She looked up at Colette before adding more. “And she is clearly loved very much.” This encounter explained where Belle got all her good qualities from; her mother rather than her sour faced father.

“May she have a sharp, yet curious mind. Kindness and compassion. And the warmest, bravest heart in all the kingdom,” Regina said, making a little wisp of brightly coloured magic sprout from her fingers over Belle's forehead for good effect. She handed her back to her mother and then disappeared out of the castle grounds.

As it was night and she had about 20 minutes this jump she doubted if she could find any illegitimate children who might be Jonathan's. So she began to hunt for the spell ingredients she needed instead; a few plants, the body parts of several different animals, and a rare gem. Once acquired, she materialised by the trees where she thought she had left the other items in the future. After a few minutes' rest she cast a preservation spell, buried them, and used a fireball to scorch a circle onto the nearest tree. Then she slumped down on to the ground next it, out of breath and exhausted. Blood began dripping from her nose again. 

 

 

She sat up in the cot. Present day Belle thrust the bucket in front of her but surprisingly Regina didn't feel the need to use it. She shuffled up and lent back against the wall. The bucket was empty now, save for a few drops of water in the bottom. 

“Did you empty this?” she asked. 

Belle nodded. “And I want it on record that I'll be forever traumatised.”

“Well look who thinks they're the new town comedian,” Regina muttered. She still felt nauseous but it was at a level she could deal with so long as she stayed still and kept breathing deeply. Doctor Sherman must have given her something in the drip that had now had time to take effect. She remembered the image of Belle rubbing her temples in the future. “Are you feeling OK?” she asked. 

Belle was moving things around on one of her shelves. “I've got a little bit of a headache but otherwise I'm alright,” she replied.

“Let me know if it gets any worse.”

“You're the one that's supposed to be eating, drinking, and,” she came over and pushed a glass of water into her hands, “resting.” 

Regina looked down at the glass and took a sip. “Is this your way of trying to shut up?” she joked.

“One can only hope,” Belle countered. 

Regina couldn't help but smile. There were few people in life she could verbally spar with. Emma had constantly challenged her ever since she had arrived in Storybrooke. Now she was getting to know Belle she learned that the bookworm could match her in wit and intelligence too. She liked it.

“You were a very cute baby by the way," Regina said. "You had soft brown hair that stuck up in little tufts." 

Belle shook her head, clearly unimpressed by her banter. 

Regina put her glass of water down. “In fact, wasn't your first word 'book'?” she teased. If she had had the energy she would have smirked. But the lightheadedness was back. As were the heavy limbs and exhaustion. 

Belle tried to turn the conversation to more serious matters. “It won't be long before they find you, you know. I've dragged some furniture to block the stairwell but obviously it won't stop them for long if they think to look here.”

Regina kept trying to fight the sleep that was threatening to take hold. 

“I'm hoping that once they noticed I slipped out they'll check my house and the library first," Belle continued. "That should delay them for a little while longer.” 

“Do you remember the time I held you after your mother died?” Regina asked softly. 

Belle stopped what she was doing. That moment had clearly been a very personal one to mention. From the look on her face Regina could see that it brought up a whole range of strong emotions. She narrowed her eyes, unsure of where Regina was taking this. “Is now really the time to be discussing it?” 

Regina was keen to share what she had just seen before passing out. Finally there was something happy yet spoiler free. “You were walking...in the library,” she murmered, half aware that she wasn't really making any sense. But those few words were all she managed.

 

 

In the next jump Regina woke face down on a bench like a drunk. She could hear the sea. Its waves were lapping gently against the shore. She was at the docks. It must be summer here as the air was hot. And at dusk the place was devoid of others. She went through the usual routine of trying to stop the blood. Then she changed her clothes. Partly because of the heat. Mostly because she was absolutely sick of wearing that fucking pant suit. She settled for a lightweight dress that fluttered in the breeze. She felt exhausted and unwell. And she kept looking round for danger, unable to believe that she could have two jumps in a row without some kind of major incident happening. But after a few minutes the night was still calm and the world was still there. She watched the boats bob up and down on the water and recited the names on the list that Belle had given her. 

She heard someone approach. 

“There you are!” the bookworm said. “I've been looking all over for you. Why did you leave the party?” 

“I just felt like some peace and quiet,” Regina fudged, not having a clue as to what Future Belle was on about.

“I'll join you,” Belle said.

Regina rolled her eyes, longing for simplicity. To be back safe and well in her kitchen with a large cup of coffee. 

“It was lame without you there anyway,” she laughed nervously. 

Regina looked over at her. She didn't seem much different to the woman she knew in the present. She checked her surroundings again but everything still seemed stable. Perhaps the fragmentation of the future hadn't reached this close to present day yet? 

Regina had no idea what to say. She had no frame of reference to go on. She couldn't comment on the party – she had no clue as to whose it was or why it was happening. And she couldn't go with the usual conversation starters like 'what have you been up to lately' either as she probably saw Belle on a near daily basis in Storybrooke. 

She settled for the weather. “A lovely evening, isn't it?” she commented. 

Belle sighed. “Please, don't be like this.” 

Regina looked up to the sky and pleaded to the gods of Storybrooke. “Enlighten me,” she said.

“You changed after the time-traveling incident. And this new you, well you're surprisingly nice.”

“Gee thanks,” Regina said dryly.

“Especially since that night you apologised. And this new you, well, now that I've had a long time to get to know who you are...I like the person you've become.” 

Regina had a worrying feeling about where this might be going. 

“A lot in fact.” 

Belle wasn't doing so well with the smooth talk though. Regina sniffed up a bit of blood again and stared resolutely out to sea. “Maybe I should be going,” she hinted. She stood up to lean on the railings.

Belle followed. As Regina was about to explain she was time-travelling Belle held up a hand to silence her. “At least hear me out. I have no idea what is going on with you lately.” 

“How so?” 

“Taking me out for drinks, long walks in the woods, inviting me round for meals at your house. And you always pay a lot of attention to what I'm wearing.”

Regina thought back to some of the outfits she had seen Belle wear. Short skirks. Heels. Cute blouses with the button straining at the top. She licked her lips. “Well you do always look very good,” she said.

“See! This is exactly what I mean. You seem...interested. Yet whenever I try and get close you run off again. Tell me I'm not imagining it!” 

“The only thing I need to tell you is that I'm time-”

But Belle cut her off by leaning in and kissing her. Regina lifted her hands up in surprise, at a complete loss of where to put them. Belle placed her hands on Regina's waist and turned her round, pinning her against the railings. Her actions reminded Regina of Lacey and her exuberant sexuality. How the curse only brought out parts of people's personalities that were already there. And the time she landed in Belle's bathroom and saw her sitting in Fugina's lap, bucking and moaning in pleasure. 

It felt different to when they first kissed. Well, when Regina first experienced Belle's kiss that night in the woods when Fugina had gone missing. There was passion and curiosity and excitement but none of the fear or desperation that had been present before. Belle deepened the kiss. Regina wrapped her arms around her and decided to just go along with it. It was not like she could do anything to help herself whilst she was in the future anyway. Especially whilst the time piece was lost. She has been through hell these past few days, she told herself in an attempt to justify her actions. So she might as well enjoy this. 

Belle broke off the kiss. Her face was flushed and her eyes were wide with desire. “Come back to my place,” she said, simply. Like it was the only possible course of action. She tugged at the collar of Regina's dress. “We have to finish what we've started.” 

The moment seemed so important to Belle that Regina could hardly bear to break the news. “I'm so sorry I-”

The younger woman interrupted with the assumption she was being rejected. “No, it's fine. I'll go. Don't worry about it.” She closed her eyes and looked pained. 

“I'm time-travelling you idiot,” Regina sighed. “Which you would know if you just gave me a moment to speak.” She sniffed up some blood again.

Belle shook her head. “You can't be.” She gestured to where the time piece should be. 

“I lost it,” Regina whispered. 

Belle look confused. “But you used it to stop the portal.” 

Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. “I guess I don't any more,” Regina said quietly. “There was this incident at Rumplestiltskin's when you were doing the laundry.”

“Oh I remember," Belle said. You jumped out of the window.” 

Regina shook her head. “I guess my mistakes haven't caught up with you yet.” She sniffed again. Pesky nose bleeding.

“Is there anything I can do?” Belle asked. 

Regina half laughed. “Well if you want to kiss me again...” she joked. 

“Alright,” Belle said, and pushed her lips against hers for the second time that evening. Regina let out of sigh of pleasure. She decided to worry about the morality of this later. Right now she wanted to know what it felt like to have Belle in her lap, like she had seen in the future. So she broke off the kiss and led the bookworm back to the bench. They soon resumed business. "I can't have more than a few minutes left,” Regina said in between exploratory kisses. 

But Belle was focused on something else instead. She tipped her head back to grant Regina access to her neck. Regina pressed her lips against Belle's skin there. “You weren't surprised," Belle realised. "You must have known all along,” she laughed, bitterly. “I'll never be free, will I? How can I be if you've already seen where this goes.” 

Regina stopped abruptly. “And there's your answer," she explained. "That's why your Regina has been avoiding any kind of intimacy with you. She wants you to create your own path going forward. And you can't have that with her. But with someone else you can. She wants that freedom for you.” 

“Well I am a bit spoilt for choice in Storybrooke,” Belle stated. Regina wasn't surprised. “But I don't want anyone else," she said sadly. "I want you.”

Regina kissed her cheek and pulled her close so she could hold her. There was no easy solution to any of this. And right now there was no time either. She ushered Belle off her lap so she wouldn't fall to the ground when she popped out of existence. 

 

 

Belle pushed the bucket towards her again. “They're here,” she whispered, after a loud crash filled the room. The others must have managed to push the furniture blocking the stairwell over. 

Regina transported them into one of the guest rooms at her house. She held her hand over her mouth and tried desperately not to throw up. The move had made her stomach queasy again. Belle ran to the door to listen. Neither of them knew if anyone had stayed behind with Henry or whether they had all gone out to look for her. 

All clear. For now. “Are you sure this is what you really want?” Belle whispered, looking over sympathetically. 

Regina nodded and lay back on the bed. For some reason she always felt worse in the present. The drip was nearly done now so she eased the needle out. “Sleep time,” she mumbled. Belle walked over and helped her under the covers. “Thank you," she said. She then asked Belle to describe all the places Rumpelstiltskin might hide something precious in his castle. 

But soon her eyes fluttered closed. She saw the bookworm take a seat on the side of the bed, hugging her knees. Waiting. 

 

 

Regina woke up in his castle. She laughed out loud. She had actually woken up in his castle - what a glorious stroke of luck! But there was still no time to waste. With one hand pinching her nostrils she hurried to what appeared to be one of the many private rooms Belle had just described and began searching frantically, unsteady on her feet. There seemed to be nothing but junk. She tried a few more rooms but there was no sign of her time piece. She called him every single swearword under the sun. 

 

Guestroom wallpaper. Bookworm by her side. “How long was I out?” she asked Belle. 

Belle seemed reluctant to answer. “About 15 minutes,” she said. Belle handed her some water. Regina was tired of water. “Keep drinking,” she urged. 

Regina took a swig – thankful that the anti-nausea medication was still working in her favour. She wasn't going to cry. At least she had the spell ingredients now. So she had to stay focused. "Why do you think the time piece wouldn't work for Rumpelstiltskin?” she wondered out loud a few minutes later. 

“Probably because Neal didn't want to be found, I expect,” Belle suggested. "No sign of the others yet."

 

 

Regina felt a massive blow to the front of her head then landed on her knees as a large crash happened nearby. 

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god,” Snow said. “I was not expecting that.” 

Regina put a hand out to steady herself but accidentally slashed her palm on a piece of broken crockery. She tried to stand but cracked the top of her head on something instead. 

“Fuck,” she whimpered. Blood was also streaming into her mouth and dripping off her chin. She could see lots of feet and legs from her view under a table but everyone remained painfully silent. 

Someone managed to come to their senses. “It's alright everyone, I'll handle this,” a woman said. Regina heard the sound of a chair being scraped back as they stood. 

“Belle?” Regina asked. It sounded like Belle. She really needed it to be Belle. 

“Right here,” the bookworm said. She crouched down and passed her a dish towel. 

“Where the hell am I?” Regina whispered, pressing the cloth to her face. 

“Snow and Charming's house. Thanksgiving. And no, I'm not telling you the year.” A baby started banging the side of its highchair and babbling. “Close your eyes,” Belle instructed. “I'm going to lead you out of here.” 

Regina felt too ill to do anything other than what she was told. When Belle told her she could look again she found herself in a plush, but toy-filled living room. Belle's face was pale and white. But not quite a shell-shocked as Fugina's had been. More like she'd just seen a ghost. She took a moment to get some words out. “Nice suit,” she finally joked. 

Regina burst out laughing. “Well I guess you won't be forgetting this Thanksgiving in a hurry." She tried to figure out what was going on. “Been a whilst since I last stopped by?” she asked. 

“I suppose you could say that,” she said sadly. 

Regina felt light-headed. Like she was about to pass out again. She lurched backwards but Belle put a hand around her shoulders and steadied her. “Come on,” she said. “You're still in Storybrooke. Use your magic. Stop the blood.”

So Regina did. And cleaned herself up as much as she could. Though it wasn't long before her nose started dripping again. This was very wrong. “The plates,” she said. 

Belle captured her attention again. “Can be replaced. Just concentrate on yourself right now. What's going on?” 

“Not much time between jumps.” 

“And you...” Belle suddenly looked lost for words. As though she was having trouble remembering something. “You lost the timepiece,” she said. “No, wait. You didn't. Did you? I must have imagined it.” 

If Regina had had the capacity to worry about Belle, she would have done. But there was too much going on right now. Outside of the window was, well, nothing. No sky. No trees. No garden. Just...white. Was it just her or could anyone else see it? 

A young man came into the room. “I thought you might need a drink,” he said, handing Regina some water. Could everyone just stop giving her water? 

“Henry?” she exclaimed. “Oh my goodness, look at you?” Middle-aged soon-to-be-Grandpa Henry had been too distant and surreal to fully comprehend. This one was much more like her Henry, give or take a decade. Minus spots. Plus stubble. He was taller than her now too. All grown up. He also looked like he was in shock. 

“Hey mom.” His voice was so deep! He starred at her for a long time before wrapping his arms around her. 

She wondered if this was the first time they had all seen her in the future. Perhaps they weren't used to it yet, and that was why they were all reacting so strangely? The baby began crying in the other room. Belle was now the one kneeling on the floor clutching her head. Large red spots dripped onto the carpet beneath her. Henry had seen that there was no world outside the window. “What the hell,” he muttered, holding on to Regina more tightly now. 

There wasn't much anyone could do. “I'm sorry Henry,” she whispered. Along with the words “I love you.” 

The ground shook violently beneath them.


	12. Pain & Progress

Regina woke with a lurch. She was being carried downwards. To where, she wasn't sure. It was hard to see as her face was pressed against a leather jacket and black shirt. She couldn't move. Someone’s arm was wrapped around her back. Another was under her knees. She threw up some of the water she'd sipped earlier. 

"Alright love, nearly there." 

She'd been busted. Emma must have guessed she'd go back to the house and ordered Hook to act as a lookout. "Where's Belle?" she gasped.

"Just packing you a few things for the hospital," Hook said. They turned to descend the last few steps of Regina's spiral staircase and soon they were at the front door. "She's going to meet us there."

Regina didn't want this intrusion. Not when the future had just been ripped apart right in front her. She craved normality and control. She tried to use her magic to poof away but she was too weak. She couldn't manage more than a few feet. Hook yanked the front door open and hurried over to where she was lying on the grass. As he bent down to pick her up she pooffed a second time. Just because it was him. 

"Oi, stop making me chase you round the front garden like an idiot," he complained. She threw up on his boots. "Let's just get you in the car, shall we?"

"Please tell me Emma has been giving you driving lessons," she muttered, as Hook placed her carefully in the passenger seat and handed her a Tupperware tub for the journey. He ran round the car and jumped in the other side. 

"Start pedal. Stop pedal. Steering wheel," he said. "See, I'm a pro." Mercifully she blacked out again not long after they started moving.

 

Now there was sky above and concrete below. She was sandwiched between a white car and the outside wall of one of the shops in Storybrooke. It was not a day to write home about. The weather was gloomy, windy, and cold. It made the blood feel hot on her skin. As usual, magic alone wouldn’t stop the nosebleeds so she had to pinch her nostrils. She sat up and shuffled forward to peer round the car and take a look at her surroundings. 

She recognised the scene before her immediately. Rumpelstiltskin and Peter Pan were in the middle of a showdown. Hook, Belle, Neal, her past self, Henry, Emma, Granny, Charming, and Snow were lined up beside them like statues, facing away from her and unable to move. 

Snow’s beret was hideous.

Rumple's shadow swooped down with The Dark One's dagger which Rumple plunged through his father’s back and into himself. One last twist of the knife killed them both. Their bodies disappeared in a blaze of light which freed everyone watching. Belle collapsed to the ground in grief. The others remained standing, solemn and silent. 

"No, Rumple." Belle could barely get the words out she was so choked with grief. "He's gone," she sobbed. The others completely ignored her. It was an ugly moment to witness. Her past self stepped forward to pick up Pan's curse that remained on the road. 

"Regina," Snow said. "Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine," her past self answered. 

Emma stepped over to Neal and put her arm around him. "I'm so sorry." 

Yet Belle remained sobbing alone on the road. Why wasn’t anyone comforting her? Instead they began to talk about the impending curse until Grumpy ran towards them, yelling that it was now rushing in from all sides. And again they all began comforting each other except for Belle. Granted, there was a lot going on but one of them could have put their hand on her shoulder or something. Anything to acknowledge her grief. 

Regina shuffled back and lent against the wheel of the car, hidden from view. She'd seen enough. Watching herself say goodbye to Emma and Henry was too much. Watching the two of them say goodbye to their family and friends in Storybrooke also stung. Her past self took the townsfolk to the town line in order to bid Emma and Henry goodbye. Painful memories of living in The Enchanted Forrest without her son resurfaced whilst the green smoke from the curse wrapped its tendrils around her.

 

The harsh lighting made her squint. Ceiling tiles passed above her as she was wheeled on a gurney along a corridor and into a side room in what she guessed was the Emergency Department. She felt sick again. So sick. 

“Regina!” she heard Emma call. Suddenly the blonde was by her side. “How you doing?”

“Never better,” Regina mumbled. 

Emma smiled but sniffed loudly. As Regina’s sight became clearer she could tell that her friend’s eyes looked damp. 

“I’m sorry,” Emma said. “I know you hate this. But we just want to give you your best chance.”

“No over-earnest speech,” Regina ordered. “Otherwise I’ll throw up on Hook again.” She managed a small, smug smile before addressing the seriousness of the situation. “Why do you look like you’ve come to read me my last rites anyway?” 

Emma’s face crumpled upon being reminded of their current predicament. She pulled the fake chain Regina had conjured earlier that morning from her pocket. “Please tell me you hid the time piece,” she said. Though the look on her face showed Regina she already knew the truth – that it had been lost in a different time period. 

“I’ll get it back,” Regina said, trying to convey more hope than she felt. “Henry?” 

“He insisted on coming with me to the vault. We raced here when Hook called us. I told him to stay put in the relatives’ room.” Emma looked behind her anyway to check that he hadn’t followed her. A wise move.

The knowledge that he was safely nearby made her relax. Slightly. Medical staff began to swarm around her. Some attached monitoring equipment whilst another tried to convince Emma to go back to sit with their son. 

 

She woke on cold white flooring. Spots of blood contrasted sharply against the tile. She recognised this place, she thought, smiling to herself in relief. She had been here before. She heaved herself up and pulled a tissue out of the box on the side. She pinched her nose and tried to clean herself up the best she could. 

Once again gasps and moans of pleasure were coming from the adjoining bedroom. And once again there was no chance to escape without seeing anything. She turned and saw Belle sat on the edge of the bed, naked, with her legs stretched wide. Her head was thrown back in pleasure. A woman wearing stockings, heels, and little else was knelt between them, eating her out. Belle’s hand was wrapped around the woman’s dark, long hair, pushing her closer. 

“Not this again,” present day Regina sighed. She wasn’t startled this time. After everything she’d already been through she doubted whether anything could truly shock her again. 

“Regina!” Belle gasped as she pushed the other woman away from her. “You’re here.” Belle was still panting, trying to get both her senses and her breath back.

Regina closed her eyes to give the couple some privacy. “I’m sorry, I..." She felt dizzy. She swayed on her feet. "I just regained consciousness in your bathroom.” The pair scrambled to cover themselves and the other woman, who could only be Fugina, started laughing. 

“Shut up, it’s not funny,” Belle said, exasperated.

Regina wondered whether Fugina had somehow recognised the day and insisted on going first before her past self showed up. That would be the kind of thing she would do. And it would explain why Belle always seemed to be the one who was interrupted.

The bookworm took her arm and walked her forwards into the hallway with the carpet that was fluffy to the touch. The door was closed behind them. Regina opened her eyes and lent against it for support. Belle was stood before her in lace panties and a hastily buttoned up see through blouse. “Having fun, were we?” Regina teased. Then she suddenly felt mean. “I’m sorry”, she said. “I don't mean to intrude. I just can’t control it.”

Belle placed a hand on her arm and smiled reassuringly. “It’s OK,” she said. “I know.”

 

A slow but regular beeping filled the room now. And to her dismay she’d been changed into a hospital gown whilst she was unconscious. Another drip snaked into her vein. At this rate she’d have so many marks on her arm she was going to look like a junkie. But at least the nausea was wearing off now. Whatever they were using, it was working. Thank god. But something was pressed down around her nose and mouth. She lifted a hand to try and brush it off. A nurse stopped her. 

“It’s an oxygen mask. It needs to stay on, alright?” 

All wrong, more like. 

A commotion started up outside. The nurse hurried out to see what was going on. People were arguing. Then suddenly someone burst into the room. It was Belle. She must have just arrived at the hospital. Except she did not look good. She placed a holdall on the floor and slumped into a chair by the bed, looking pale and exhausted.

“Earlier you mentioned headaches,” she said, rubbing her forehead with her palm. “Mine’s got worse. It really hurts.” 

Regina lifted the mask up so she could speak clearly. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. It seemed to take an age to get the words out. “I changed something. In the past. By accident. Time's catching up.”

Belle nodded in understanding. Perhaps realising what Regina had been babbling on about when she was talking about the disintegration of the world earlier. And now the new memories were competing with the old ones for dominance. No wonder her head hurt. She remembered Future Belle curled up in pain on the floor as the ground had shaken beneath them. Some Thanksgiving that had turned out to be. 

 

She woke within Belle’s cell in The Evil Queen’s castle tower again. The younger woman was curled up on the bed, sobbing. “Just leave,” she pleaded. “Just leave me alone. Please. I can’t take any more of this.”

Regina used magic to conjure up food and drink for the bookworm before transporting herself back to Rumpelstiltskin's castle. Dust covered the surfaces and the air smelt stale. No one lived here now. The imp was probably japing around inside Snow and Charming’s dungeon. She had what, a whole ten minutes? If she was lucky. She raced to the rooms she hadn’t looked in yet, praying that Rumple hadn’t moved it back to somewhere she’d already searched. 

 

Back to bright light and hospital bed. Belle remained by her side. “You’re skipping through time so fast,” she said.

Regina nudged her mask to the side before speaking. “Really?” she wheezed. “Hadn’t noticed.” But the younger woman didn't have any energy for her sarcasm. She lent back in her chair and winced in pain. 

The beeping of the heart monitor still filled the room. The more Regina listened to it, the louder it seemed. Like a countdown to her demise. She needed to find a distraction. 

“So I'm tethered. To you," Regina began, taking a breath every few words. "Because you were by. The portal when I. Was sucked in." This was ridiculous. It was going to take her a week to finish a sentence. “Bet you’re. Regretting it now.”

“You’d been visiting me my whole life. Whose to say I had any choice in the matter?” Belle pointed out. 

“Your own fault then,” Regina joked. She managed a small smile.

“Moron,” Belle replied. 

“Why. Those times,” Regina asked, thinking through what she’d seen throughout Belle's life. There’d been New Year’s celebrations, sex, and a wedding among many other things. Those were all extremely happy times. Yet she had also witnessed many heartbreaking moments. Was there a reason?

The nurse came back in with a small plastic container. Belle sat up and took it from her. She chased some painkillers down with a glass of water. “Well I’m not sure of the magic behind it,” Belle confessed, “but it seems to be linked to when I’m feeling very intense emotions.” 

Regina nudged the mask back into its correct position, wondering what other moments in Belle’s life she still had left to witness.

 

There were two feet in her line of vision wearing what looked like her own black pumps. Someone cleared their throat. Regina pinched her nose and tried to look around for Belle from her current position of lying on the floor. Fugina was glaring down at her with her arms folded. 

“She’s upstairs,” her future self said. “But she’s not coming down for you.” 

Regina sat up. She raised an eyebrow in question. 

“Belle broke her ankle,” Fugina explained, still glaring. 

“You’re making this a lot more unpleasant that it needs to be,” Regina complained. “Aren’t you going to help me up?” 

“You stained my carpet,” she huffed, walking off in the direction of the kitchen. 

A little later Regina managed to follow. She thought she heard the sound of someone crying as she passed the foot of the stairs. Fugina was staring out of the kitchen window. “Anything exciting out there?” Regina asked casually, as though she were inquiring about the weather rather than checking to see if the world was ending.

“No.”

“So you’re just sulking like a child for no reason then.” She knew she should hold her tongue but it was so hard not to goad herself when Fugina was this hostile towards her.

“Fuck off.” 

“I don’t want to be here either,” Regina pointed out. “So help me put an end to this. What did you do when you had ten minute jumps. What did you see? Where did you end up?” 

Fugina spun round in anger. “I don’t know, I never let it get this bad!” she cried. “I stopped it well before any ten minute jumps started happening. What the hell are you doing?” 

“My best,” she countered, matching Fugina’s loud volume level when answering. Her nose began dripping again. She wiped it with her finger and sighed. When you were full of self-hatred you were never going to have a good time with yourself. Quite literally in her case. She needed to de-escalate this. She tried to imagine what Belle would do in this situation yet she had a hard time mustering up the bookworm's level of empathy and patience. 

Regina spotted a book with a pregnant woman on the cover. "Is Belle expecting?" she asked, eyes wide with shock. After Henry she hadn't wanted any more kids. But she couldn't glean any more clues from it as the title didn't make any sense.

“I’m not breathing a word about the future," Fugina said sharply. "God knows what else you’ll ruin.”

Ouch. "Okay then," she replied. She glanced around the kitchen to see what else was gibberish. The oven clock. Food labels. Cookery books. A letter from the hospital stuck on the fridge was just squiggles, except for the words 'urgent' and 'mammogram'. Something wasn't right.

“If Belle has a broken ankle then why don’t you just...fix it?” Regina asked. Surely her future self still had magic? 

Fugina scowled and left the room. 

 

Emma was in the room again. The machines carried on beeping. She took Belle by the arm and began to lead her out.

“Come on," she said. "We’ve got a bed for you too." 

Regina could barely keep her eyes open. She always felt much weaker in the present. 

 

She regained consciousness face down in some bushes. Whilst she went through the usual post-time travel, clean-up-nosebleed routine she heard someone humming. She ventured forward for a closer look. A woman with long brown hair pulled messily into side ponytail was sat sketching in a notebook. They were on the side of a large hill, overlooking a valley. The view before them was magnificent. Regina could feel magic in this land - although it was somewhat different to that in the Enchanted Forest. 

“Nice outfit,” Regina called, making Belle jump in surprise. The younger women was wearing tight trousers, brown boots, and a dark red jacket with gold trim on the collar and sleeves. Practical yet very flattering for her figure. “Makes you look quite the traveller.” 

Belle tensed up. 

Regina moved closer for a better look. “What are you drawing?”

“A Yaoguai,” Belle replied, suddenly losing all enthusiasm for what she was doing. She didn’t seem excited by Regina's presence either. “You were the lady, travelling in the carriage on the road the other day,” she said, keeping her eyes fixed on the page in front of her. She sounded hurt. “I thought you were my friend. I spent years trying to find out about time travel for you. Yet in return you gave me advice knowing that it would result in Rumplestiltskin getting rid of me.” 

“I’m sorry.” She hadn't been at the time, but she meant it now. 

“I’ve looked you up since then,” Belle said, still refusing to meet her eye. Which was probably for the best given that she had to start pinching her nostrils in order to stop the blood again. “You’re The Evil Queen, aren't you?” 

“Yes, I was,” Regina corrected. “But I’m visiting you from the future now. I'm on your side Belle. I’m not that person any more.”

The younger woman wiped a tear off her cheek. “Tell me whether my master takes me back.” 

Regina wasn’t sure what to say. Lying wouldn't do any good so she chose her next words carefully. “He loves you, deeply. But you need to get your affairs in order,” she warned. “The Evil Queen is going to prevent you from returning to him for a long, long time.”

Belle didn’t answer. Instead she tightened her grip on her pen and paper.

 

Someone was leaning over her hospital bed. So close she couldn't escape their vile breath. They reached over to the panel on the wall and flicked a switch. Air stopped flowing into her mask. 

“Rumpelstiltskin,” she whispered. She tried to look around the room for someone else. Where were the others? Hadn’t anyone seen him come in? 

“You and me have got a few issues to resolve, dearie,” he said grimly. “My memories have changed. I saw you, as you look now, in the past. Wrecking havoc in my castle then disappearing.”

Regina didn’t know what to do. She wasn't strong enough to use magic. She felt around on top of the covers, desperately hoping to find something she could use as a weapon against him.

“As The Dark One my brain is able to cope with the mess you’ve created but Belle’s can’t,” he continued. He yanked a pillow out from under her, causing her head to thump back against the mattress. “If anything happens to her...” he threatened. “I would be more than happy to experiment how effective this is at cutting off your oxygen supply.”

It was so typical of him, this misunderstanding. What did he think she had been doing since this started, flower arranging? It was not as though she'd been waltzing around time periods, unwilling to resolve her predicament because no one had threatened her life yet. 

"Zelena got what was coming to her," he spat, getting more agitated. “Save my boy,” the imp continued. "Maybe you'll save your sister along with him." 

Ah, so that why he was acting like this. He had been involved with her sister's death and now he was worried that Regina would exploit the situation in order to retaliate. Well if he hadn't have said anything, she would not have known, despite his incredibly suspicious behaviour in the Sheriff's Station several days ago. She shook her head, too weak to explain that she couldn’t control whereabouts in time she went. “The stop watch,” she croaked. “Where. Did. You. Put it?”

 

She woke on the floor of a carpeted room in darkness. Immediately she brought her hand to her face to try and stem the blood flow. People were arguing on a bed. They must have been bickering loudly enough to cover the sound of her arrival because they didn’t seem to have noticed her appearance.

“No more travel books left on side tables. No more photos of exotic locations stuck on the walls,” Fugina said. She sounded desperate. “I’ve already told you my reasons. You know I don’t want this.” 

“You’re not listening to me," Belle pleaded. "All I’m asking is that if you’ve never tried travelling before then how do you know it's not for you?” 

“I just know!" A book was flung onto the floor. "Why don't you go on your own if you want it so badly. I'm not stopping you.” 

“Because I love you. I want to see the world with you. Why can't we just go on one short trip abroad together?” she begged. “Please, for me.”

Someone, presumably her future self, got out of bed and left the room. Belle chased after her. “There’s no need to sleep in the spare room," she said. "Please, don’t do this again.”

 

Emma was pacing by her bedside. Regina was relieved to feel the pillow back in its rightful place beneath her head. 

“I’m on Dark One patrol,” Emma quipped upon seeing that Regina was awake again. “Sorry he managed to get in here. If he tries anything else I'm gonna blast him.”

Regina was too exhausted to answer. Plus the things she'd seen in the last few time jumps had been completely heartbreaking. A tear escaped and slipped towards her ear.

“Oh, hey,” Emma said in alarm. She moved closer and stroked Regina’s hair. "You know Belle told me to tell you to focus, right?" she said, forcing a sad smile.

 

A man screamed in pain. Regina was surrounded by cold stone walls. Belle nearly tripped over her as she ran down the corridor.

“Anastasia, thank god you're here. Please, you have to help me stop this,” she begged. Tears streamed down her face. “He’s torturing an innocent man just so he can seek revenge for the actions of his friend.” 

Belle stopped talking once she saw how unwell Regina looked. She helped her to her feet and ripped off her small white apron to treat her nosebleed. Regina took it gratefully. She blurted out the location of the time piece that Gold had described to her in the present.

“You have to take me there, now,” Regina ordered. Once they were in the right room they pushed against the stones set in the far wall. She left a trail of red handprints. There was so much blood yet her magic couldn't stop it, not even temporarily like before. The little apron was soon sodden. Blood poured into her mouth and down her chin. 

Belle finally found a stone that came lose. “Here!” she said. She grabbed hold of the time piece and threw it towards Regina. Her hands were shaking and slick with blood but she managed to catch it. Just. But the chain was all jumbled up and her fingers were too slippy. She couldn't untangle it quick enough. Rumpelstiltskin appeared in the doorway, causing Regina to drop the stop watch in surprise. She fell to her knees. She had to grab a hold of it. Her pant suit was covered in blood. She reached towards it. There was a slap. Belle cried out in pain as Regina looked up.

“Looks like my prisoner will have some company whilst he’s being tortured,” the imp sang with glee. He grabbed Belle's arm. "Because betrayal will not be tolerated," he shouted.

Regina reached out for the time piece again. As her fingers curled around the chain he shot a blast of magic at her and dragged Belle towards the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright we're getting close to the end now folks - about 3 chapters left to go!
> 
> Thank you for staying with me. Don't forget to share your thoughts and feedback. x


End file.
